Endangered Hawaiian monk seals show record low birth rate, fed's murder trial to stay in Honolulu, Hawaii marijuana minister denied bail, 2,200 pot plants eradicated on Big Island, campaigns in home stretch, elections office scrutinized, more news from all the Hawaiian islands

Hawaiian monk seal (c) 2012 All Hawaii News

A group of scientists just returned from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands where they helped with the recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal. KITV4.

More than a dozen researchers are back from a field camp to help increase the monk seal population in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. KHON2.

The state Office of Elections needs an additional 300 volunteer poll workers on Oahu for Saturday's primary election even as nearly 68,000 people already have voted on Oahu through absentee ballot or early walk-in voting. Star-Advertiser.

Despite open contempt from party elders and a major fundraising disadvantage, Ed Case has the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate within reach. Civil Beat.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has endorsed former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the race for Congress, while City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard picked up the nod from U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Star-Advertiser.

When the campaign of Mufi Hannemann responded to Civil Beat's poll Monday showing him way behind Tulsi Gabbard in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives, it was titled "Mainland 'Robo-Polls' And Mainland Money." Civil Beat.

In Part Two of his 3-part series … HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka profiles the second candidate who could become the nation’s first American Samoan voting member in Congress. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, who is running for Honolulu mayor in Saturday's primary election, was released from The Queen's Medical Center late Tuesday afternoon after being treated for a bleeding ulcer. Pacific Business News.

Ben Cayetano was released at 5 p.m. today from the Queens Medical Center. Hawaii Reporter.

The candidates in Honolulu's hotly contested mayoral race say they are making their last push for votes, sign-waving, shaking hands and otherwise pounding the pavement given the saturated media market in the final days before the primary election Saturday. Star-Advertiser.

A federal agent who shot and killed a local man in a Waikiki McDonald’s last fall will have to argue his case in Hawaii state court. Civil Beat.

A federal judge denied a bid Tuesday by State Department agent Christopher Deedy to seek a transfer of his murder case to federal court. Star-Advertiser.

Imua Rail Canvassers Told to Make Deceptive Statements About Their Employer, Their Background and the Rail Project. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii

Hawaii Island marijuana advocate Roger Christie once again has lost a bid for his release while awaiting trial, scheduled for January, on federal marijuana possession and distribution charges. Star-Advertiser.

Roger Christie will likely spend his third Christmas in a row in a federal prison in Honolulu on felony drug charges. Civil Beat.

The number seven didn’t turn out lucky for a Hilo marijuana advocate who’s spent two years in federal custody while awaiting trial. Tribune-Herald.

Marijuana eradication missions in Ka‘u and Kona netted about 2,200 plants on Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Former Mayor Harry Kim doesn’t like to call them “disappointments,” as much as he’d call them “dreams that still need to be fulfilled.” West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County Elections Office at the West Hawaii Civic Center was closed Monday and part of Tuesday after a temporary worker assigned to the office was terminated. West Hawaii Today.

The closing of the elections office at the West Hawaii Civic Center and the dismissal of a temporary worker used to staff that location has led to new concerns about Hawaii County's ability to conduct a smooth primary election on Aug. 11. KITV4.

The Hawaii County clerk changed procedures for dropping off absentee ballots at the Kona elections office and three other sites two weeks before the primary election. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii County Elections Division expects to have all duplicate voter registrations off the books by Thursday, County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi said this week. Tribune-Herald.

A planned unit development within the Aina Lea project doesn’t conform to the South Kohala Community Development Plan, some area residents say. West Hawaii Today.

A Big Island nonprofit agency mishandled some of the federal stimulus funding it received in 2010, an audit has revealed. Big Island Now.

Maui
Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa joins his administration in hosting a series of community meetings in September and October to gather public input on the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget. Maui Now.

Two Maui entrepreneurs have their eyes set on incumbent County Council Member Mike Victorino's job. Maui News.

Single-family home prices in Maui County last month increased nearly 25 percent over last year, while condominium prices were unchanged, according to the latest data from the Realtors Association of Maui. Maui News.

Kauai

The Hawai‘i Attorney General is re-prosecuting a case that charges 16 counts of animal cruelty involving horses. Garden Island.

The opinion of special counsel addressed key concerns of whether the restorative justice program — officially known as Productive Optimism Helps All Kaua‘i — that ran from August 2011 to April 2012 until a controversy put it on hold. Garden Island.

Kauai Oncology LLC opened the Garden Isle's first cancer radiation therapy facility in Lihue on Monday. Star-Advertiser.