Thursday, May 6, 2010

State most expensive for car ownership, Election Office withholding records, congressional race and civil unions continue to dominate headlines, fire rages on Maui, more top Hawaii news

Hawaii has been ranked the most expensive state to own a car by Edmunds.com, an automotive information website.

The state Department of Human Services has called off a plan to close all the state's welfare eligibility offices and lay off 228 public employees.

Across the country, Democrats are on the defense, laboring to put out political fires sparked by angry voters and emboldened Republicans. Even Hawaii, the bluest of blue states, where a Democratic machine has controlled politics for the five decades since statehood, has become a dangerous hot spot for the party in power.

Representatives of three Congressional campaigns say the state's office of elections is not providing them with key information that would allow them to stop making thousands of phone calls to potential voters asking them if they’ve already voted in the special election.

Ed Case said he believes that most voters think the same way he does about government and politics in Hawai'i and Washington, D.C.: too partisan, too dysfunctional, too out of touch with everyday concerns.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, trailing in the polls and hearing of intense pressure from national Democrats who want her to step aside, vowed yesterday to stay in the special election for Congress until the end.

In the second installment of our special-election preview, Honolulu Weekly talks with each of the three best-known candidates in the race for Congress.

The congressional debate: watch the clips

The state Senate could be led by a Big Island lawmaker next year if Senate President Colleen Hanabusa prevails in her quest for a congressional seat.

Gov. Linda Lingle says she soon will start gathering information about the controversial civil unions bill that passed the state Legislature last week.

Civil unions bill on Lingle's desk

Madam Pele is on the move, putting on the hottest show in Hawaii that's too close for comfort. On Wednesday night, firefighters were on alert and families on edge as Big Island Civil Defense tracked a lava flow that shut down a popular sightseeing spot.

Safer streets, less traffic, and higher morale - those are the goals Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha unveiled on Wednesday.

Twenty people who were either cited or arrested during a protest at the governor's office are now going through the justice system. Some were in court on Wednesday.

The debate swirling around a proposed community development in Central Oahu is just the latest example of the tension between growth and farmland preservation in Hawaii.

A fire, the cause of which remained unknown, burned roughly 1,100 acres of brush mauka of the sparsely populated areas of Olowalu and Ukumehame to the ridges atop the West Maui Mountains on Monday and Tuesday.

A group of downtown Hilo businesspeople, professionals, surfers and anglers is hoping that Gov. Lingle will sign over a half-acre parcel on the Hilo Bayfront to the county.

A divided Hawaii County Council committee Tuesday agreed to strengthen the county's ethics code, despite protestations from opponents that county government is already ethical enough.

Dr. Peter Matsuura's vision for a Hilo medical complex and pedestrian-oriented community was endorsed by a County Council committee Tuesday.

Two bills regulating how much water Hawaii County residents may draw from county spigots will go to the full council with negative recommendations from the Public Safety and Parks and Recreation Committee.

After a nearly three-year Kaua‘i Police Department investigation, two local men were arrested on suspicion of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.

The most recent Green Harvest mission on Kaua'i netted 200 marijuana plants and several arrests, county officials said Monday.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Gubernatorial race too close to call, Hawaii County mayor denies plans to run for lieutenant governor, Obama calling home on congressional race, 500 Honolulu Advertiser employees get layoff notices, Maui County cutting 108 jobs, more


Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi: No plans to run for lieutenant governor, despite $47k contributions

In a head to head battle between Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann, former congressman Abercrombie has the lead by a margin of 36 to 32 percent.  The margin of error is four percent.

Republicans here and on the Mainland are banking on Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou becoming their first Hawai'i representative to Congress since Pat Saiki nearly two decades ago.

House Republicans call it the "death wish," by which they mean when Democrats take what they like in a Republican bill and make it their own.

President Obama has your number. So do U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka. Even former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie is planning to call you.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona denounced efforts to link him with an evangelical group that has been accused of trying to make Hawaii the first Christian state and supporting efforts to imprison gays in Uganda.

Advocates for the separation of church and state have filed an ethics complaint against Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona

Federal officials said they think a decomposing humpback whale calf that washed ashore Monday night at Po‘ipu may have floated all the way from O‘ahu.

Despite signs of an economic recovery, advocates warn that many Hawai'i families are still teetering close to homelessness — or falling into it — as they run through their savings.

The Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee on Monday voted unanimously to recommend a budget for 2011 that would cut 108 county jobs and furlough remaining workers, while increasing property tax rates to partially offset lower tax collections.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo's 3-year-old College of Pharmacy has been awarded $16.1 million as one of 15 communities participating in a national pilot project to use information technology to improve health care.

Already battling one pest attacking honeybees, state agricultural officials are now starting an investigation into another: the small hive beetle.

More than 500 Honolulu Advertiser employees got their layoff notices last night. It came one day after HA Management took over daily operations of the Advertiser.

An estimated 1,100 acres burned in Maui brushfire

West Maui resident Jan Ehrenkrook said she looked out her window at about 1 a.m. yesterday and saw a wall of flames from a brush fire coming over a hill.

Kona coffee. We love it and we take pride in it in Hawaii, but did you know there is a chance your Kona Coffee is not Kona coffee after all.

A stretch of Queen Kaahumanu Highway fronting the Kohanaiki Business Park closed Monday afternoon as hazardous materials experts, state Highway Division crews and a private contractor removed about 10 tons of gravel, oil and coolant that spilled from a semi-truck that overturned and burned.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Gov. Lingle's popularity hits 8-year low, congressional candidates rumble in TV debate, voters prefer Democrat for next governor, Neighbor Island lawmakers weigh civil unions, more Hawaii news


Gov. Linda Lingle's job approval rating has tumbled to the lowest point in her two terms as the state's chief executive, a new Hawai'i Poll has found, as teacher furloughs and a sour economy have weakened her popularity.

The new version of the state budget, passed last week by the state Legislature, keeps almost all the budget cuts recommended by Gov. Linda Lingle.

A bill providing for civil unions exposed splits among the Big Island's legislative delegation.

Kaua‘i delegation split on civil unions

Hawai'i voters are divided between former Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the Democratic primary for governor in September, but prefer either Democrat to Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, a Republican, in the November general election, a new Hawai'i Poll has found.

President Obama will appeal to Honolulu voters to choose a Democrat in the special election for Congress, as national Democrats grow increasingly alarmed that Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, could snatch the president's hometown district.

Three candidates running in the special election for the 1st Congressional District seat agreed native Hawaiians should receive some form of federal recognition similar to American Indians.

Three veteran politicians waged a battle of big ideas Monday night.

The most heated exchanges came between front runners Ed Case and Charles Djou in a televised debate for the 1st Congressional District Monday night.

Cheers, boos, and bursts of laughter - ask the live audience, and the one word nearly everyone used to describe Monday night's congressional debate was 'spirited'.

A plan to shift the route of Honolulu's proposed elevated commuter rail project to avoid Honolulu International Airport airspace has found favor with the Federal Aviation Administration, the city said yesterday.

A 66-year-old Colorado utility executive who was set to retire this summer was killed on his Big Island farm Sunday night after he was pinned under an overturned tractor.

Hawaiian Airlines began a major upgrade of its fleet Monday. The company received a new state-of-the-art plane for its trans-Pacific flights.

Man claims police illegally confiscated his pakalolo

The Lahainaluna High School boarders program survived in the Legislature's budget for the next fiscal year, but its future remains uncertain with Gov. Linda Lingle still having 45 days to take action on the lawmakers' spending plan.

Olowalu businesses and residents were advised to prepare to leave the area, if necessary, if a nearby brush fire gets too close, said county spokeswoman Mahina Martin on Monday night.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Most favor federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, man builds Styrofoam house, Chinese language amusingly difficult for English-speakers as more Chinese head to islands, more top Hawaii news

Hawai'i residents still favor federal recognition of Native Hawaiians by a 2-to-1 margin, the latest Advertiser Hawai'i Poll numbers show.

We're hearing directly from Governor Linda Lingle for the first time since she returned from a four-day trip to the Mainland.

Poorly maintained roads cost Hawai'i drivers an average of $503 a year as they shell out extra money for tire repairs and damaged shock absorbers.

Federal stimulus spending saved or created 2,566 jobs in Hawai'i during the first three months of this year, which is down from the 3,019 jobs attributed to the program during the last three months of 2009.

A Hawaii News Now-Honolulu Advertiser poll shows that Republican candidate Charles Djou has a big lead in the special election for Congress.

Across the country veteran politicians are facing serious competition generated by a tide of voter anger, even from within their own party.

Two social service organizations are giving food to an increasing number of people -- some of whom used to donate food themselves -- a reflection of the sour economy.

Tourism industry eager for Chinese

For English speakers with subpar Chinese skills, daily life in China offers a confounding array of choices. At banks, there are machines for "cash withdrawing" and "cash recycling." The menus of local restaurants might present such delectables as "fried enema," "monolithic tree mushroom stem squid" and a mysterious thirst-quencher known as "The Jew's Ear Juice."

Families Threaten Lawsuit Over Care For Autistic Children

Hawaii Family Builds Styrofoam Home

A proposed $286 million Hilo development promising shopping, housing and medical services has received the Windward Planning Commission's endorsement and is now heading to the County Council for consideration.

West Hawaii residents got a glimpse of several master plan alternatives for the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park at a community meeting Saturday in Kealakekua.

While the question of whether civil unions will be legal in Hawaii rests with Gov. Linda Lingle, Maui County lawmakers cheered its passage in the state House of Representatives last week.

An agreement signed last week between Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and a private developer conveyed 138 acres of ocean-front property to the county, which prompted some community members to question what was given up in exchange for the land.

Boys’ Day, falling on the fifth day of the fifth month, is steeped in Japanese tradition and came to Hawai‘i with the immigrants brought to the Islands to work on the plantations.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

New! Weekly blog feature Just sayin' -- Bidding aloha to the 2010 legislative session in Hawaii

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session."
 -- Mark Twain


Whew! They're gone. The Hawaii Legislature adjourned sine die on Thursday, and reporters around the state are busily figuring out just what lawmakers accomplished during the 60-day session that in Hawaii Time stretches from Jan. 20 to April 29.

The debate over civil unions grabbed most of the headlines this legislative session, but tax and access issues hit equally close to home.

Old Samuel Langhorne Clemens had it right about property, at least as far as this year’s legislative session is concerned. In this tough economic climate, lawmakers raised the barrel tax from 5 cents to $1.05, an action expected to hike the cost of gas, electricity and shipping. Lawmakers also reinstated the death tax and tapped their old favorite, smokers, who face a 40-cent-per pack increase.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Legislature on last day passes civil unions, reinstates steep tax hikes, after 27 years, Kilauea losing steam, more top news from around the state

In a dramatic last-minute reversal, the state Legislature sent Gov. Linda Lingle a bill legalizing civil unions between any two consenting adults.

State House lawmakers yesterday approved a bill that would give same-sex and heterosexual couples the ability to enter into civil unions and enjoy the same rights as married couples under state law.

Many are calling it a very historic moment for Hawaii, and it's big step towards a huge victory for civil union supporters.

Opponents of a civil unions bill are urging Gov. Linda Lingle to veto the measure when it hits her desk.

Expect gas prices, electric bills and shipping costs to rise because the state Legislature voted yesterday to override a veto of a $1-per-barrel tax increase on oil products.

From veto to law, legislators went against the governor and overturned 11 issues today many centered on jobs and tax increases.

Hawaii state lawmakers Thursday overrode one of Gov. Linda Lingle's vetoes to clear the way to impose an almost 2000 percent oil barrel tax hike.

The Lingle administration lashed out at state lawmakers who ended the 2010 regular session with overrides of 11 of the governor's vetoes.

Here is a list of some of the measures revived today:

A government watchdog activist was injured and another was arrested yesterday during a protest over prayer at the state Legislature.

At least eight Hawaii lawmakers may leave office following this year's legislative session.

A drop in sulfur dioxide released from an eruption on Kilauea volcano's east side might mean the eruption is finally running out of gas after 27 years, scientists say.

Some of the best minds in social media are here for a two day conference on creating a business strategy using social media tools.

Work continues on efforts to cover up contaminated soil on the site of the future Target and Safeway stores in Hilo, where high levels of arsenic, dioxins and petroleum compounds have been found.

A state senator says the Department of Public Safety broke state and county laws and administrative rules during last year's closure of Kulani Correctional Facility.

Bowing to the inevitable, county and state officials emerged Wednesday from a closed-door strategy session determined to fill the hole in Big Island tourism left by the loss of Japan Airlines flights to Kona International Airport.

The state Department of Transportation assured residents Wednesday evening there will be no more protests to delay work on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project and construction of the second phase is expected to begin in the fall.

Maui County Council members on Wednesday debated proposals to require the Department of Environmental Management to come up with a plan to recycle more wastewater and conduct sampling for water contamination before spending money to rehabilitate existing injection wells.

Many Kauai community members who closely followed the progression of the bill seeking to allow leashed dogs on the entire shared-use path were baffled when the author of the bill voted to defer it, sending it back to committee for possible amendments

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Loss of JAL big blow to Big Island, state tourism up, great time for lava peepers, newspaper consolidation starts Monday, Navy to resume war games offshore, Legislature's last day, more top Hawaii news

Hawaii officials say they hope to get Japan Airlines to reconsider its decision to end Kona service, or find another carrier to do it.

Japan Airlines plans to reduce daily airlift into Hawaii by about 800 passengers a day, eliminate its Kona route despite lobbying from state leaders, and add a flight from Haneda International Airport to Honolulu as part of the company's government-backed bankruptcy restructuring.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported improving visitor arrivals and visitor spending across the state in March, the agency said Tuesday.

Maui island led all others in the state in drawing the highest percentage increases in visitor arrivals and in tourist spending in March, compared with the same month last year, state tourism officials said Tuesday.

Under a new law landowners will be responsible for maintaining an open corridor on the beach.

State lawmakers gave final approval yesterday to a bill that would authorize $67 million from the state's Hurricane Relief Fund to eliminate teacher furloughs next school year.

State lawmakers have given final approval to the use of $67 million from the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund toward restoring public school furlough days and now wait to see whether an agreement can be reached to return teachers and students to the classrooms.

A domestic violence resolution designed to make sure judges stick to the law and not grant batterers child custody, is just one final house vote away from passing.

Hawaii County Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira and South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford are cheering a bill the state Legislature passed Tuesday giving counties control over fireworks.

The House and Senate passed into a law on Tuesday a bill that raises the maximum salary for the state department of education superintendent and other department officials.

A naval exercise that brings to Hawai'i's shores thousands of service members from the U.S. and foreign nations, an aircraft carrier, beach landings — and millions in Waikīkī tourist dollars — is returning between late June and early August.

State Sen. Will Espero doesn't believe for a second that the end of the "birther" conspiracy theory is near, but he hopes lawmakers gave understaffed and overwhelmed Health Department officials a new tool against persistent requests for President Obama's Hawai'i birth certificate.

Despite the fact that Honolulu’s special congressional election has largely been reported as a race between three familiar, highly polarizing politicians, the ballots that will begin to appear in Honolulu voters’ mailboxes next week will feature the names of 14 candidates.

The consolidation of Honolulu's two rival dailies is expected to begin one minute after midnight on Monday when Honolulu Star-Bulletin owner Black Press concludes its purchase of The Honolulu Advertiser from Gannett Co.

A city audit has found that nearly 40% of high-rise residential buildings on Oahu did not undergo fire inspections every two years as required.

The Honolulu Fire Department hasn't caught up with the computer age, leaving it with incomplete records of the island's 600-plus residential high-rises and the violations and hazards found in them, according to the city auditor.

A broad, slow-moving flow has come within a few dozen feet of the county's public viewing area.

A proposal to cut the Maui County's work force by eliminating vacant positions could result in disruptions of county operations and services, department directors warned Tuesday.

A Kauai County bill still in the germinating stage may lead to the explicit legalization of hundreds of existing transient vacation rentals on agricultural land.

The U.S. Army's plan to monitor the air over Pohakuloa Training Area for depleted uranium has drawn sharp criticism from some Native Hawaiians, environmentalists, activists and independent experts. Now the Army has gotten an admonishment from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Legislature passes budget avoiding GET increase but grabbing high-tech credits, veil of secrecy drawn over business complaints, tourism looking up, state's two largest newspaper merger OK'd by court, Maui trims budget, more top Hawaii news

State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a $10.2 billion budget that included many fee and tax hikes, but avoided an increase in the general excise tax.

The Hawaii legislature passed a flurry of bills Tuesday, covering everything from fireworks to requests for President Obama's birth certificate to shark fin soup. More than 60 other bills also passed the final House and Senate votes Tuesday.

With Furlough Fridays on their minds, lawmakers took steps to ensure a minimum number of instructional days for public school students while leaving it up to voters to decide on a measure aimed at increasing accountability in the system.

A conflicted state Senate, under threat of potential lawsuits, voted yesterday to end a high-technology tax credit program early and temporarily suspend investors' ability to claim the credits to help with the state's budget deficit.

Gov. Linda Lingle is saying no to oil barrel tax increases, plus jumps in traffic abstract fees and estate taxes.

As expected, Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday vetoed the state Legislature’s attempt to block her from reorganizing the state Department of Human Services.

State lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation that would shield from public view thousands of complaints about real estate agents, contractors, doctors, barbers and other licensed professionals.

Hawaii lawmakers have passed a constitutional amendment proposal that would mandate an appointed Hawaii State Board of Education.

A rebound in Hawai'i's visitor arrivals and spending gathered momentum in March, boosting sales at many businesses.

Hawaii's two largest newspapers, the Honolulu Advertiser and the Star Bulletin will be merging. What many have feared is about to happen, Honolulu will become a one paper city. Hundreds of employees will be laid off and the Advertiser staff is expected to take the biggest hit.

Black Press, the Canadian-based parent of the 128-year-old Honolulu Star-Bulletin, received approval yesterday from the U.S. Justice Department to conclude its purchase of its longtime rival, The Honolulu Advertiser.

Property tax increases would be blunted, and transportation programs and social service grants would get a boost, under a budget proposed Monday by Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Joe Pontanilla.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo has announced five finalists for the university's top job.

Residents have until Friday to turn in their obsolete televisions, computers and other electronic waste without charge to the drop sites in Hilo and in Kona.

The Hawaii visitor industry has rolled out a package of incentives it hopes will persuade Japan Airlines officials not to cancel a daily flight between Narita International Airport and Kona International Airport.

In-car smoking ban raises legal questions

The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply manager said he'll welcome an investigation into the contract process for an Ocean View well project.

A federal jury Monday found Kevyn Paik, 47, and James Alan Duarte, 48, both of Kaua‘i, guilty of multiple wire-fraud and mail-fraud offenses involving the award and performance of contracts for work at the Hanalei Wildlife Refuge, a federal press release states.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hawaii GOP congressional candidate gets no help from RNC, Lingle vetoes local jobs bill, no aloha for seabirds, civil union advocates launch last-ditch lobbying efforts, more top Hawaii news

Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed legislation Monday that would have mandated state and county construction projects employ a workforce consisting of at least 80 percent Hawaii residents.

A bill mandating that a majority of government construction jobs go to Hawai'i workers was vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday.

A bill to help local labor unions put local workers on the job was vetoed yesterday by Gov. Linda Lingle, who said it was vague and hard to enforce.

Gov. Linda Lingle's suggestion that teachers voluntarily return to classrooms to end the last three furlough Fridays this year landed with a thud yesterday.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has poured nearly a half-million dollars into the special election battle for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District — and spent virtually nothing in a special election the same week in Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District.

State Sen. Sam Slom and Hawaii Reporter Editor Malia Zimmerman were expected to submit a final bid today to buy the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Conservationists hailed a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling in early April as a victory in their fight against Turtle Bay resort on Oahu's North Shore. But it could also have a wide-ranging impact on other developments throughout Hawaii.

Civil-union supporters made door-to-door visits at the state Capitol yesterday in a last-minute pitch to push state representatives to vote on a bill they tabled early in the legislative session that will end Thursday.

A warning for drunk drivers - it's homestretch for a three-year battle to get Hawaii on board with nearly the rest of the country.

Most parents hope that Hawaii will never again be in the situation where the children's classroom time is taken away to help close a state budget shortfall.

Mayor Billy Kenoi's latest trip to see the Legislature likely helped preserve roughly $18 million for Hawaii County, says one state lawmaker.

Although Maui County hasn't banned the use of cell phones while driving, police officers often see how dangerous the practice can be.

"Maui's Only Air Show" takes off Saturday morning at the old Puunene Airport, with model airplane flight demonstrations, pylon racing and World War I and II dogfights.

The man in charge of county parks said he thinks it is absurd to consider turning off stadium lights and other illumination just to preserve endangered native seabirds.

Hawai'i has long been dependent on imports for nearly all of its fuel and most of its food.

Monday, April 26, 2010

27 years of vog, Legislature enters home stretch, wildlife returns to Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, farm housing coming to Kauai, more top Hawaii news


It has been 27 years since Kilauea started erupting and two since a new vent at Halema'uma'u Crater opened, doubling the amount of emissions and changing life for the thousands who live in Pahala and other rural communities downwind from the volcano.

Gov. Linda Lingle last night asked all public school teachers and principals to volunteer to return to the classrooms without pay for the remaining three furlough days of the school year as a "gesture to heal our community."

Budget battles. School furloughs and hotel tax money.

With less than a month to go and the contest apparently as tight as a drum, the three major candidates for Hawaii's vacant congressional seat and their allies are sharpening their attacks on each other.

As the election season heats up, Hawaii News Now along with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is proud to present the first live, televised debate of campaign 2010: "Race for Congress - the Special Election."

The first amphibious insects ever found are rare Hawaii caterpillars that can live under two feet of rushing water or on a hot dry rock and commute back and forth.

Fish, turtles and birds have returned to Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve since it was closed to people two years ago, but the shutdown is set to expire at the end of July.

Hawaii County Department of Water Supply customers will soon have their chance to weigh in on whether agricultural water users should continue to get a water subsidy.

Two and a half years in the making, a bill that would allow farmers to build additional dwellings for their  workers is two steps away from becoming law.

Heavy fog precipitated a series of multiple-vehicle wrecks along the same stretch of Highway 19 in Waimea on Saturday.

Friday, April 23, 2010

State budget pau, Neighbor Islands income gap widens, congressional race a national fight, Thirty Meter telescope advances, more Hawaii news


With last-minute negotiations still under way, House and Senate leaders say they have finished a budget that is about the same size as the one proposed by Gov. Linda Lingle in December.

State House and Senate leaders reached agreement last night on a $10.2 billion state budget, but they will not decide until today whether they need to take hotel room tax revenue from the counties to close the deficit and balance the state's six-year financial plan.

State lawmakers approved $48 million for the long-awaited University of Hawaii West Oahu campus in Kapolei. The budget committee voted on the state’s construction budget late last night.

The DOH announced Thursday that 10 people on Oahu recently became ill after eating raw ahi.

As the state struggles with agonizing school furloughs and a widely criticized power structure, a man who wants to be Hawaii's next governor says he has a plan to make things better.

National Democrats took another swipe at Charles Djou while Djou took aim at Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case's wife made an appeal for funds as the major candidates for the special election for Congress head into the final week before ballots are mailed to voters next Friday.

The personal income disparity between Honolulu and the Neighbor Islands grew in 2008, according to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Hoteliers turned out Wednesday to beg Maui County officials not to impose a property tax rate increase on them, saying it would be so burdensome it could lead to more layoffs at resorts that are already in the red.

Gov. Linda Lingle said that state legislators are so overwhelmed by budget issues that they have lost sight of the need to create jobs.

The final environmental impact statement for the Thirty Meter Telescope cleared another hurdle.

The governor has yet to select one of two names submitted as candidates for East Hawaii's spot on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.

Two people died Wednesday morning when the microlight aircraft they were flying in crashed into Kealakekua Bay.

An agreement signed Wednesday morning by Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. on behalf of the county and Kevin Showe of Kaua‘i Development LLC conveyed 138 acres of oceanfront property adjacent to Lihu‘e Airport from Kaua‘i Development LLC to the County of Kaua‘i.

Two Radford High School teachers accused of soliciting a prostitute pleaded no contest Thursday, and will likely avoid being officially convicted.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Honolulu Hale pushing tax hikes, Hawaii renters pay the most, Big Island bans smoking when kids in car, H1N1 hits Maui school, more top Hawaii news

A 3-cent increase in the tax on gasoline and a 30-cent hike in the real property tax rate for non-occupant homeowners advanced yesterday as Honolulu City Council members crafted their budget with a wary eye on lawmakers in the state Legislature.

After 8 hours of testimony, Honolulu City Council members are still in disagreement over the city budget.

At a time when Hawai'i families are weathering pay cuts and job losses, here's more gloomy news: The income needed to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in the Islands rose by nearly $3,000 this year to $64,396 annually — $26,000 more than the national average, a report on housing affordability shows.

State House and Senate leaders will likely turn to the state's Hurricane Relief Fund to eliminate teacher furloughs after budget negotiators agreed last night to remove furlough money from the state budget draft.

Hours after a breakthrough agreement yesterday to give counties the option to ban fireworks, lawmakers learned that the deal could fall through because of an obscure rule governing the negotiations.

State lawmakers on Wednesday agreed on a bill that is poised for final approval to allow the counties to come up with their own fireworks prohibitions stricter than the state's.

The Honolulu City Council has endorsed a proposal to support federal recognition for Hawaiians.

Pakalolo was the hot-button topic Tuesday when Police Chief Harry Kubojiri and other top cops met with the public in Volcano Village.

Police will have greater access to downtown Kailua-Kona next month when officers begin patrolling the Alii Drive area on mountain bikes.

It probably won't be enforced, proponents conceded, but a ban on smoking in cars when kids are present will be the law following a Hawaii County Council vote Tuesday afternoon.

An outbreak of H1N1 in two classrooms at a Maui elementary school has prompted state health officials to remind residents of the continued need to be vaccinated against the virus.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

New telescope for Mauna Kea, Kilaueau lava wowing viewers, civil union supporters push for reforms, Legislature targets birthers, Maui councilman runs for mayor, Miss Teen Hawaii dies from stroke, more

Following years of delays, a new telescope was lowered in pieces into its new home.

Lava from Kilauea Volcano's east rift zone has inched closer to the Kalapana viewing area, meaning visitors can get a closer look at the flows.

Supporters of civil unions are making a new push for legislative action before the current session ends next Wednesday.

A proposal aimed at stopping repeated requests for information from so-called "birthers" might also shut out legitimate information requests by the public, says a University of Hawaii professor opposed to the measure.

As the end of the legislative session draws closer lawmakers were working at the Capitol Tuesday night.

Hawaiian Electric Co. was looking into the cause of an outage that left 1,200 customers without power in the downtown area Tuesday afternoon.

Many users of the city's park recreational programs are expected to testify at Honolulu Hale today that they don't want to see senior, youth and other activities cut.

Miss Hawaii Teen dies from sudden stroke

Maui County Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala has decided to seek the mayor's office rather than re-election to the council's Lanai residency seat.

The entrepreneur who created a virtual marketplace that connects sellers and buyers worldwide is launching an online news site where people will pay to exchange ideas and discuss issues affecting their communities.

The Kaua‘i County Council’s review sessions for Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s proposed $146.29 million operating budget next year wrapped up Tuesday without much of the glamour of its opening day less than two weeks earlier.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Live-aboards hit with stiff rent increase, surfboard chomped by shark, coral regrowing in harbor, U.S. Justice looking at Star-Bulletin bids, more news

Boaters living on their vessels at Ala Wai and Ke'ehi small boat harbors are facing a more than 330 percent increase in rent, forcing many of them to rethink their living options.

An estimated 14-foot-long tiger shark chomped the tail end off a local surfer's board yesterday afternoon in Hanalei Bay, witnesses said.

Bids to buy the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, including several that involve assets not for sale, are being reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Voters will decide this fall whether to give the state Legislature the power to divert money intended for tax rebates to help finance a "rainy day fund" for economic emergencies.

The world’s largest real estate services firm says retail vacancies in Hawaii are at a four year high. CB Richard Ellis said vacancies rose 1.1 percent in the past year.

No shopping carts, and no tents without a permit - that's the ban Honolulu police started enforcing on Monday at Oahu city parks.

Officials at Waters of Life Public Charter School hope summer classes will help bring to a close a difficult chapter for the school.

Fire gutted three classrooms in "G" Building at Kahului Elementary School early Sunday, forcing officials to scramble for space and supplies to allow displaced teachers and students to hold classes today.

Where once coral was destroyed to build a harbor, it has regrown, presenting a new environmental obstacle to its expansion.

Hawaii County administration argued against yet another County Council attempt to address infrastructure inadequacies, claiming a policy is in place to deal with those problems.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Homeless find a way, Neighbor Islands gaining clout in gubernatorial contest, DLNR rules slammed, school tax district takes shape, more Hawaii news

When police start enforcing a ban on camping tents and shopping carts in city parks as early as today, some of the homeless who live in Kapiolani Park say they will sit back and watch -- under large umbrellas or other legal shelter.

In the 1970s, then-Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi famously lost two close gubernatorial campaigns against Gov. George Ariyoshi by capturing the most votes on O'ahu only to be drubbed by the incumbent on the Neighbor Islands.

The state Division of Aquatic Resources could shut down operations on Maui and other Neighbor Islands under a budget plan being considered by the state Legislature, officials are warning.

State Sen. Clayton Hee is rallying support for legislation he introduced that would make Hawaii a leader in the global fight to end shark finning.

The volcano in Iceland continues spew out tons of ash bringing air traffic to a stop in much of Europe.

Five candidates for the post of chancellor of the University of Hawaii Hilo will be visiting the campus and holding community meetings to demonstrate their visions for the school.

The state will soon have the authority to impose impact fees on all West Hawaii developments.

The Kauai Department of Public Works has already been challenged with vacancies and budget reductions in the current year.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Volcanic cloud hampers U.S.-Europe flights, Tea party rally draws 1k+, Hanabusa leading cash race, new scope heading to Mauna Kea, more top Hawaii news

The bottom fell out of travel plans for thousands of U.S. airline passengers Thursday as dozens of flights between the U.S. and Europe were canceled, part of a global disruption in air travel as clouds of ash from a volcano in Iceland forced widespread closures of European airports.

Dissatisfied with the government and brandishing messages such as "Taxed Enough Already" and "Enough Is Enough," hundreds of protesters rallied at the state Capitol yesterday to deliver a message to lawmakers: "No more taxes."

It's not necessarily paying taxes that ticks off the Tea Party supporters.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa has opened a fundraising advantage on her rivals in the May special election for Congress and can count on additional resources from U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and the state's powerful labor unions in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Mauna Kea's newest, smallest telescope should reach the summit today.

About $46 million in federal funding for child welfare services is ensnared in a disagreement between legislators and the state Department of Human Services.

Hawaii County Police Chief Harry Kubojiri says he desires more openness and transparency between his department and the public, but doesn't want his own performance review made public.

Tsunamis have the potential to flatten whole towns as demonstrated in Chile recently, but Hawai'i engineers are helping to create new building standards intended to prevent sweeping destruction here and elsewhere.

There are 3,000 stories on the Hawaii Literacy's Bookmobile, but right now, no one can read them.

A mainland developer's project continues to progress, as mandated by the state Land Use Commission, a county official said.

Saying there wasn't a legal basis allowing him to vacate an arbitrator's award, 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza on Wednesday confirmed the award reinstating two fired Maui Police Department officers.

In 1926, Kaua‘i’s 11 sugar plantations — Kilauea, Make‘e, Lihu‘e Plantation, Grove Farm, Kipu, Koloa, McBryde, Hawaiian Sugar at Makaweli, Gay & Robinson, Waimea and Kekaha — employed most of the island’s workforce.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Business secrecy bill advances, Legislature sends fuel tax bill to governor, Save Our Schools ends protest, Hansen's disease settlement only land route blocked by mudslide, the band plays on and more Hawaii news

Listeners swayed and tapped toes to the rhythms of the Royal Hawaiian Band yesterday, enjoying a 174-year-old tradition of free music that some lawmakers say might be too costly to continue.

A proposal to keep thousands of complaints filed against Hawaii businesses secret has been resurrected by the legislature this year without one public hearing.

The state House and Senate yesterday gave final approval to an increase in the barrel tax and a measure to halt a state plan to close eligibility offices on the Neighbor Islands that help the poor.

A bill to drastically raise the state tax on a barrel of oil dribbled out of the Legislature yesterday, but faces an uncertain future.

Lawmakers have made a move to block streamlining and layoffs at the Department of Human Services

Pau. That's word from the group protesting school furloughs. Members of Save Our Schools Hawaii, or S.O.S., have been camping out at the governor's office since last Wednesday.

The past week of heavy rain created a mudslide and serious damage to a footbridge on the "pali trail," which forced the National Park Service on Tuesday afternoon to close the only land route to the Kalaupapa Hansen's disease settlement, which remains accessible by plane or boat.

Former Honolulu City Councilman John Henry Felix has agreed to pay a $50,000 administrative fine to settle claims that he violated campaign financing laws, the highest amount ever paid to the state Campaign Spending Commission by a political candidate.

Verizon Wireless recently submitted an application to the Hawaii County Planning Department for approval to build a 54-foot cell tower behind Parker Ranch Shopping Center in Waimea.

Sticking to his promise in 2008, shortly before leaving office because of term limits, former Maui County Council Chairman Riki Hokama is making his return to politics.

A brush fire Wednesday morning scorched some five acres of former sugarcane lands across from the old Kekaha sugar mill.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Congressional candidates debate tax cuts, two protestors arrested at Capitol, Pirates of the Carribbean seeks extras, state revenues looking up, 817 state jobs gone, more Hawaii news


Former Congressman Ed Case and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa said last night that they would likely vote to let President Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy expire if elected to Congress, while Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou said he would extend the tax cuts.


Experience is not necessary for men interested in a part in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” which begins filming on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i early this summer.

State sheriffs made good on their promises Tuesday night, arresting two furlough protestors who were camping out in the lobby of the governor's office.


Two Save Our Schools members were arrested last night for trespassing in Gov. Linda Lingle's office as they continued a sit-in to urge the governor to end Furlough Fridays now.

With just three months left in the state's fiscal year, tax revenues appear to be improving but are still down for the year, according to the latest un-audited numbers from the Department of Taxation.

Last summer, Gov. Linda Lingle said she wanted to cut up to 2,500 state jobs to reduce the budget deficit. That figure was later revised to 1,197 positions. As of last week, the state had eliminated 817 positions through layoffs or other actions.

In the years before mortgage lender Washington Mutual became the largest bank failure in American history, it routinely sent its top-performing mortgage lenders to Hawaii for retreats.

If the Big Island were for sale, the asking price would be nearly $3 billion less than a year ago.

Hawaii Permanente Medical Group is planning to open a South Kona office this fall, a spokeswoman for the company confirmed Monday.

More than 200 Federal Fire Department workers are being advised to look for unusual activity on their bank accounts, after allegations that an employee wrongfully accessed their personal information.


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Poll shows Djou-Case tie in congressional race, citations continue in Furlough Friday sit-in, budget ax hovers over state, counties, more top Hawaii news


 Deputy sheriffs cited nine people with trespassing—including two for the second time—as the sit-in against Furlough Fridays continued yesterday in Gov. Linda Lingle's office.

Expecting vetoes by Gov. Linda Lingle, state House and Senate leaders yesterday placed several potentially contentious bills in position for final votes this week, including an increase in the barrel tax and an attempt to block the state from closing eligibility offices on the Neighbor Islands that help the poor.

As the state Legislature moves into its last three weeks, Democrats are positioning a series of tax law changes and tax increases that they hope will balance the budget without raising the general excise tax.

Honolulu City Council members yesterday said they were using a "paring knife," not an axe, to carve about $9.5 million from the city's $1.82 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year, but warned more drastic cuts would likely be needed.

A recent poll shows Republican Charles Djou is tied with Democrat Ed Case for the lead in Oahu’s special congressional election, according to The Atlantic magazine.

State sheriff's deputies tonight issued citations to nine adults who were occupying the governor's office on day 6 of a sit-in to pressure officials to end public school furloughs.

A group that has been calling on Governor Linda Lingle to settle the furlough situation received citations for a second straight weekday.

The state Department of Public Safety is looking into an incident on Friday in which a female correctional officer allegedly made a threat against state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, D-14th (Halawa, Moanalua, Kamehameha Heights).

State tax collections were down 1.6 percent through the first nine months of the fiscal year, the state Department of Taxation reported Monday.

Hawaii lawmakers and their staff gathered at the Capitol rotunda to participate in the Habitat For Humanity's nail-driving contest.

The furlough proposed by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. may not affect firefighters, but proposed budget cuts may impact the Kaua‘i Fire Department.

Despite the talk of change during the 47th annual Merrie Monarch Festival, some things stayed the same.

A Big Island assisted facility developer is looking to build a complex in West Hawaii.

Walgreens opened its second full-service store on Maui on Sunday, but it came with a demonstration against the store by members of the Hawaii Carpenters Union.

Monday, April 12, 2010

End of session crunch pushes tax bills, Furlough Friday protests get louder, alternative energy comes and goes in the islands, more Hawaii news


State House negotiators last night offered to significantly scale back a proposal to lift general-excise tax exemptions on several business activities and impose a new GET hike, a move that would generate $25.3 million — instead of about $100 million — to help contain the state's budget deficit.

Many tax breaks or exemptions for local businesses would be preserved under a tentative compromise bill set to move today at the Legislature.

The fifth day of a protest to end Furlough Fridays closed yesterday with bubbles, musicians, art and slam poetry at the state Capitol's rotunda as parents and students urged the governor to find a solution.

Confirmation hearings are tomorrow for the three men nominated by Gov. Linda Lingle to serve on the board that oversees the 10-campus UH system.

Hawaiian Airlines did the best job for fliers last year, closely followed by low-cost carrier AirTran, according to an annual study released today that rates the nation's 18 busiest airlines for the quality of their service.

The spotlight was on Hilo, Hawaii for nearly a week as work crews, spectators and halau after halau poured into town. At the Edith Kanaka'ole stadium, the stage was prepped early for practice performances.

Make that two years in a row for the men of Ke Kai O Kahiki.

A and B Properties, Inc., announced today that it has acquired Lanihau Marketplace, an 88,300-square-foot shopping center in Kailua, Kona.

Hawaii County's labor costs will increase roughly $150,000 a year under Mayor Billy Kenoi's forthcoming proposal to combine vehicle-repair and transportation functions.

Farming sunshine may not become a reality for Kaua‘i after all.

A multimillion-dollar research project to investigate converting Hawaii's last sugar plantation to biofuel crops could mean the end of an era of another kind: cane burning.

North shore papaya farmer Kenneth Kamiya said wild pigs are devastating his crops and cutting into his profits.