Hirono leading Case in poll, Sierra Club fights Hannemann, Chinese tourists to double, Honolulu mayor vetoes beach business ban bill, Hawaii County resending yellow voter cards, Kauai kicking vendors off beach, Hawaiians distrust roll commission, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Ed Case, Mazie Hirono

Poll: U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, lifted by the strong support of core Democratic voters, has a double-digit lead over former U.S. Rep. Ed Case in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Star-Advertiser.

The Sierra Club says it will "pour a lot of money" into a targeted mail campaign criticizing congressional candidate Mufi Hannemann's environmental record. KITV4.

Social media are the meat and potatoes of today’s political campaigns. And it's no different here in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

While China is still a small market for Hawaii tourism, the number of Chinese visitors to the Islands is projected to nearly double by 2015. Pacific Business News.

After spending 40 years in the trenches of the sovereignty movement, Native Hawaiian Roll Commissioner Mahealani Wendt says she fully understands why some Hawaiians are suspicious of the panel’s efforts to identify who should be involved in forming a self-governing entity. Honolulu Weekly.

The new agency tasked with developing state lands is hoping to move forward on its first projects — even though it hasn't finalized rules that govern its operations and establish the criteria by which projects are chosen. Civil Beat.

A new office at the state capitol is focused on Hawai`i’s youngest students and getting more keiki into preschool. Hawaii Public Radio.

A state lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to stop high-speed training by police in residential neighborhoods. KHON2.

State roundup for July 26. Associated Press.

Oahu
A beach ban for businesses on beaches on Oahu’s windward coast was vetoed by Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Mayor Peter Carlisle vetoed a bill on Wednesday designed to stop all commercial activity at Kailua Beach Park and clarified that most of the business conducted there is already illegal under a separate measure that became law on July 1. Star-Advertiser.

The City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution asking the city administration to restore recent cuts made to TheBus services. Star-Advertiser.

Just as the University of Hawaii is proposing a new bio-safety lab in Kalaeloa, it's having problems with its existing lab at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kakaako. Hawaii News Now.

The city's Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, which is acquiring private property in the way of the city's 20-mile elevated steel on steel rail system, maintains its officials have treated private property owners along the route with respect and paid them the full value for the land the city has acquired. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii

Errors in assigned polling places on voter registration notices have prompted the County Elections Division to resend more than 101,000 of the yellow cards to voters next week. Tribune-Herald.

A trash-hauling study by the county Department of Environmental Management shows it is even less expensive to haul garbage from Hilo to Kona than first thought, and the hauling option is significantly less costly than either a new Hilo landfill or a waste-to-energy incinerator. West Hawaii Today.

A University of Hawaii professor is taking on a high-altitude water study that could open thousands of acres on Mauna Kea for farming and ranching, as well as bring more fresh water to Pohakuloa Training Area and Mauna Kea State Park. West Hawaii Today.

A Maryland-based ocean thermal energy developer is poised to build a test plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Police Department is about to enter its final phase of efforts to achieve accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Tribune-Herald.

One of Hawai`i’s most popular eateries will be coming to Hilo next year when Zippy’s Restaurants opens its 26th Hawai`i location at the Prince Kuhio Plaza. KPUA.

Maui

The master-planned Honua'ula project in Wailea received a key approval Tuesday by the Maui Planning Commission that will allow development of the luxury golf community to move forward. Maui News.

Several boating accidents in the past year, including two in which people died, have prompted state officials to propose that boaters be required to take a safety course and that an advisory committee review ocean recreation safety rules in West Maui. Star-Advertiser.

Democratic candidates for the South Maui 11th House District seat expressed mostly opposition Tuesday night to Eclipse Development's work on two mega-malls in Kihei, with one candidate taking some flak for seeking to accommodate anticipated heavy traffic and not opposing the projects outright. Maui News.

Maui County will receive $800,000 in federal funds to build 10 new bus shelters in Wailuku, Kahului and Kihei. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County officials on Tuesday and Wednesday told commercial tenants operating on the property immediately behind Black Pot Beach Park in Hanalei to vacate the land by today, as the county would be taking possession of the land. Garden Island.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed a disaster declaration that will allow the state to make emergency repairs to a critical highway on Kauai that was damaged by waves last week. Associated Press.