Help for Hawaii homeless; Honolulu mayoral race all about rail; Kauai group balks at undersea cable; Hawaiian activist Ritte running for OHA; Land Use Commission approves development on Koa Ridge farmland; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu homeless (c) 2012 All Hawaii News

Gov. Neil Abercrombie today is scheduled to introduce a new coordinator for state programs on programs addressing homelessness. Star-Advertiser.

(c) 2012 All Hawaii News

Governor Neil Abercrombie will make the announcement Friday afternoon when he signs off on a senate bill that will officially establish the Hawai'i interagency council on homelessness. KHON2.

State Lawmakers established a 9-member Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force last year to examine why Native Hawaiians are overrepresented in our prisons and criminal justice system.   The Task Force is conducting a two-day summit this week to solicit public input and recommendations from community leaders. Hawaii Public Radio.

Laura Thielen is fighting for her identity as a Democrat. But campaign contributions to both Republicans on the ticket for governor in 2010 could undermine her claim. Civil Beat.

More than a year after a tsunami devastated Japan, killing thousands of people and washing millions of tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. government and West Coast states don't have a cohesive plan for cleaning up the rubble that floats to American shores. Associated Press.

New figures show 1 in 6 high school students in Hawaii report being bullied online or via text messages, and 20 percent say they have been bullied while on school property. Star-Advertiser.

State roundup for June 8. Associated Press.

Oahu

Oahu single-family homes' median price soared last month to its highest level in nearly five years and is approaching its all-time high. Star-Advertiser.

The median price of a home on Oahu rose 11.6 percent year over year to $664,000 in May while sales volume remained unchanged with a total of 243 purchases, according to the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Mayor Peter Carlisle went on the offensive in the race for Honolulu mayor Thursday, criticizing opponent and former Gov. Ben Cayetano for embracing a segment of a Bus Rapid Transit plan Cayetano had dismissed 10 years ago when he was in office. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle Thursday blasted the bus rapid transit plan being pushed by his mayoral opponent, former Gov. Ben Cayetano, as an alternative to rail transit. Hawaii News Now.

Even under Honolulu rail chief Dan Grabauskas' own timeline, a deal guaranteeing $1.55 billion in federal funding might not be done until after the election that could see anti-rail candidate Ben Cayetano elected mayor. Civil Beat.

Emails Show City's Rail PR Firm Personally Targets Council Member Cachola in Lobbying Efforts, Ad Campaigns. Hawaii Reporter.

Honolulu's pro-rail mayor is accusing anti-rail challenger Ben Cayetano of knowing key components of Cayetano's revived bus rapid transit plan will not work. KHON2.

A call to accommodate population growth with more housing won out over a desire to protect farmland Thursday, as the state Land Use Commission approved the bulk of the planned Koa Ridge community with 5,000 houses, a hospital and a commercial center in Central Oahu between Mililani and Waipio. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Judge's Redactions Hide APEC Shooting Details. Civil Beat.

On Wednesday, the Honolulu City Council passed an operating budget for fiscal year 2013 that contains $100,000 for Chinatown to repair or replace broken security cameras. KITV4.

Hawaii

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has announced plans to construct a 40,000-square-foot medical office building in Honokhau, North Kona, to replace its existing clinic in Kailua-Kona that services 22,000 Big Island members. Pacific Business News.

Promised for early 2014, Kaiser Pemanente Hawaii will open a new state-of-the-art clinic in North Kona, officials announced Thursday. West Hawaii Today.

Construction on a public shooting range at Puuanahulu could begin as early as 2014, a consultant told about 50 West Hawaii residents Wednesday evening. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Environmental group Friends of Lana'i wants the state to require that Hawaiian Electric Co. complete a long-range statewide energy plan before being allowed to seek bids for an undersea cable developer and other large renewable projects. Maui News.

The state Natural Area Reserves System Commission voted Monday on Oahu to recommend a two-year extension of the closure of environmentally sensitive areas of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in South Maui - one year more than an advisory group to the reserve had wanted. Maui News.

Although the Maui County Council's fiscal 2013 budget isn't "all sunshine and apple pie" because it includes hikes in property taxes, water rates and bus fares, council members said Wednesday that they passed a "responsible" $549.9 million budget plan for the county. Maui News.

Kauai

Kaui Hart Hemmings, author of “The Descendants,” is a special guest artist today at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach. Garden Island.

Molokai

Longtime community leader and former Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Trustee Walter Ritte has announced his candidacy for the At Large seat for OHA. Molokai Dispatch.