Kilauea on the move, garbage shipments delayed, special session averted, more Hawaii news

The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says that dozens of small lava flows have moved down the pali and across the coastal plain of Kilauea's south flank in the past several weeks.

Everyone who testified Wednesday about the state Department of Land and Natural Resource's proposed rule changes that will allow the department to go forward with its Recreational Renaissance plan did so with reservations or opposition to the plan.

The state Board of Education last night approved 95 schools' requests to convert teacher training days into instructional days, an action that restores as many as six classroom days that would have been lost because of staff furloughs.

Hawaii State Representatives have caucused, and say there will be no special session over furlough days at schools.

About 75,000 children and at least 10,000 staff and faculty members have been vaccinated in this year's seasonal flu school clinics, and state health officials hope to see the turnout repeated in H1N1 school clinics starting next Friday.

A faith-based community group marched on Honolulu Hale yesterday, calling for the mayor to create a policy and a department to deal with a widespread housing crisis on Oahu.

The first shipment of garbage will be sent from Oahu to the mainland about two weeks later than originally planned because the trash facility ran into some startup problems and had to shut down for nearly half its first month of operations.

Furloughs and other economic concerns dominated an informal public meeting Wednesday night with state lawmakers.

A potentially deadlocked Hawaii County Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to let absent Council Vice Chairwoman Emily Naeole be the tiebreaker on two hotly contested measures relating to land sales.

Planning consultant Chris Hart has announced he will run for mayor of Maui County in 2010.

A request from the county Office of Boards and Commissions to destroy audio recordings of meetings after they are transcribed into minutes and approved was withdrawn Wednesday, but could return to the Kaua‘i County Council’s agenda.