Hawaii recycling fee to drop, state sheriff and deputy on leave per investigation, state workers still accepting free golf, lobbying laws lax on Maui, Ige creates task force to address Honolulu homeless, Hawaii County buys land to fix 15-year-old error, Kaui to learn about Roundup, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Plastic HI-5 bottles await recycling © 2015 All Hawaii News

People aren’t returning their HI-5 bottles and cans as often as they used to, so the state is trimming a half-cent off its administrative fee. West Hawaii Today.

Spurred by falling recycling rates, the state Department of Health announced Monday it will reduce the container fee it charges to manufacturers, distributors and importers of HI-5 beverage containers by a half-cent effective Sept. 1. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety has confirmed that State Sheriff Robin Nagamine and First Deputy Patrick Lee have been placed on “unspecified leave.”  Star-Advertiser.

Some state workers are continuing to accept free rounds of golf despite the Hawaii State Ethics Commission cracking down on the longstanding practice. Civil Beat.

During the 2013-2014 school year, there were 2,422 homeless students enrolled in the state Department of Education’s public and charter schools out of a total of 185,273 students, according to DOE spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz. Star-Advertiser.

Federal regulators have collected more than 475 written testimonies about a proposal that would shed Hawaii’s humpback whales of their endangered species status. Garden Island.

Oahu

Hawaii Gov. David Ige is creating a new team of city, state and federal representatives to tackle homelessness in the state. Associated Press.

City and state officials do not plan a huge sweep of Kakaako’s expanding homeless encampment and instead will slowly find alternate housing for a few occupants living on the outer edges, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Monday at an unusual joint news conference with Gov. David Ige. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige announced Monday that he was launching an “unprecedented” effort to address the state’s growing homeless problem. Civil Beat.

Governor David Ige announced Monday his office has created a leadership team to address homelessness that will work in collaboration with federal and county partners to establish "best practices" for assisting the variety of needs and the complexity of housing the state's growing homeless population. Hawaii News Now.

There are more than 13-thousand homeless residents in the state according to the Department of Human Services.   The Governor announced a major effort to address this growing problem. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency started the day Monday by recovering USS Oklahoma “unknowns” from Punchbowl cemetery, and followed that up by dedicating a new $85 million facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Star-Advertiser.

Thirty-six caskets draped in the American flag arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Sunday evening.  Inside, the remains of Marines who lost their lives in the battle of Tarawa some 70 years ago. KITV4.

Pumped hydro storage has potential on Oahu. It works by using cheap solar energy during the day to pump water uphill to a reservoir, and then releases that water at night, running down a pipe, turning a turbine and making electricity. Pacific Business News.

Ben Jay accumulated an average of more than $13,200 per month in bonuses during his tenure as the University of Hawaii’s athletic director and was due a lump sum $370,000 bonus payment upon his departure under terms of his 2012 contract, records show. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council is trying to settle a lawsuit over a 15-year-old Planning Department error by buying the disputed land. West Hawaii Today.

A new Department of Hawaiian Home Lands subdivision plan would make 80 agriculture lots in Panaewa available to beneficiaries, including residents of the Makuu Farm Lots who faced relocation due to lava. Tribune-Herald.

At the north end of Hilo Bayfront, next to Singing Bridge, sits Kaipalaoa Landing — a historic and often overlooked strip of land. By year’s end, however, the half-acre parcel — home to a small lighthouse — will undergo a $349,000 face-lift. Tribune-Herald.

Three young dolphins will be airborne between Dolphin Quest facilities in Waikoloa and Oahu, under a permit the company is seeking from the state Board of Agriculture. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County Council Chair Mike White wants Mayor Alan Arakawa’s administration to breathe life into the county’s 34-year-old law requiring lobbyists to register. Civil Beat.

A public hearing will be held on a request for a special use permit and a conditional permit to allow for the development and operation of a transient camp in West Maui. Maui Now.

The developers of the proposed Ma'alaea Plantation subdivision have scaled back their plans from what had been the controversial Ohana Kai development, a 1,100-unit affordable home subdivision on 257 acres that command sweeping views of South Maui's coastline. Maui News.

Kauai

Strong reaction to proposed Haena changes. Master plan restricts daily number of visitors, cuts parking in half. Garden Island.

Kauai residents have three chances to catch a panel discussion about Roundup’s potential dangers featuring science and environmental health scholars from around the world. Garden Island.