State seeks Airbnb records, nation's mayors visit Honolulu homeless, health department visiting Kauai homes, Molokai battles over water rights, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki king tides UH sea college grant program July 2017

It’s that time of year again. Another round of king tides will return to Hawaii shores this week. Scientists said the king tides will arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday — and they’re expected to peak between 3 to 5 p.m. both days. Hawaii News Now.

State again seeks to subpoena Airbnb records. The state Department of Taxation is again asking a judge for permission to force vacation rental giant Airbnb Inc. to turn over the booking records of operators in Hawaii who advertise with them. Star-Advertiser.

Bipartisan policy at 87th Conference of Mayors. Honolulu's Democratic Mayor Kirk Caldwell drew inspiration from Miami's Republican Mayor Francis Suarez's strategy for dealing with rising sea levels. KITV.

Mayors from across the nation take a peek at how the city is working to solve homelessness. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell was joined by other mayors from across the country Monday in examining a solution to homelessness. Hawaii News Now.

Experts warn of worsening fire conditions in Hawaii. Because of climate change, Hawaii’s wildfire season, previously confined to the summer months, is now year-round — which means the islands likely will see more wildfires. Tribune-Herald.

What Will It Take To Make Hawaii A Player In eSports? Cities around the world are holding eSports tournaments, hoping to attract younger visitors and become major destinations for the industry. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Deputy Investigated For Murder In Capitol Shooting. Delmar Espejo, 28, died of a gunshot wound to the back, an autopsy report said. Associated Press.

Oahu

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Expect Louis Kealoha To Pay Them Back Anytime Soon. The Honolulu Police Commission gave the former chief a retirement payment of $250,000 after he was named as the target of a federal criminal investigation. Civil Beat.

After guilty verdict, state moves to prevent Katherine Kealoha from practicing law.  Katherine Kealoha is behind bars after being found guilty in one of the state’s biggest public corruption cases. But technically, she could still practice law. Hawaii News Now.

Disciplinary counsel files to block Kealoha’s law license. KHON2.

Attorney says Katherine Kealoha needs surgery. Attorney Earle Partington visited Katherine Kealoha the day after she was placed in custody. KHON2.

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A place with 'so much local charm’ is razed to make way for a luxury tower in Waikiki. What was once a gathering place for many local families will now become a 32-story luxury tower. Those familiar with the area are used to seeing an iconic shopping center called King’s Village. Hawaii News Now.

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Pali repair work is extended 3 months. Emergency repair work on Pali Highway following February’s rockslides will continue three months longer than originally anticipated, until the end of November, state officials said. Star-Advertiser.

DOT Gives Update On Pali Highway Repairs With Completion Pushed To November. Civil Beat.

Pali Highway repairs to continue until November. Repairs to the Pali Highway will continue through November. Crews will continue repairs along the busy highway 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. KITV.

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Proposed Housing Development Gets A Rough Reception In Kaneohe. Honolulu City Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson, who represents the area, was harshly criticized for initially supporting the eight-home project. Civil Beat.

Board of Water Supply to increase the price of water based on meter size. Over the next five years customers will see gradual changes reflected on their bills. KITV.

Officials discourage floating, drinking on July 4. What has become the notorious July Fourth “Floatilla” off Waikiki has prompted early warnings from local officials hoping to discourage a large turnout and drinking in the water as a way to celebrate. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu radio acquisition creates statewide network for Pacific Media Group. Chuck Bergson, president, CEO and majority owner of Pacific Media Group, said the acquisitions cap what has been a 20-year vision for the company. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Safer days at Kua Bay: Lifeguards begin manning popular North Kona beach. Lifeguards are now patrolling the water at the popular, yet perilous Kua Bay. West Hawaii Today.

Leilani Estates Community Association exploring ways to curb tourist access to subdivision. Almost a year after the end of liquid lava in lower Puna, Leilani Estates continues to wrestle with packs of tourists attracted to the vestiges of last year’s Kilauea eruption. Tribune-Herald.

Council resolution seeks Bank of America cooperation on DHHL loans. A decades-old dispute over $150 million in home loans for Native Hawaiians has captured the attention of two Hawaii County councilwomen, who have sponsored a nonbinding resolution supporting Gov. David Ige’s attempts to bring Bank of America back to the bargaining table. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Sugimura Proposes Investigative Review of Water Resources for Upcountry Maui. Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura is requesting an exploration of options relating to East Maui water resources to ensure reliable water delivery for some 37,000 Upcountry water users. Maui Now.


State seeks input on plan for disadvantaged business enterprises. Maui meeting set for July 10. Maui News.


Kauai

DOH taking survey of residents readiness. The Kauai District Health Office of the Hawaii Department of Health will be conducting a door-to-door survey of Kauai residents from July 11 to 13 to assess their readiness for emergencies such as hurricanes, floods and other disasters. Garden Island.

Prosecutors try to seize $140,000. The Kauai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is asking for court approval to seize roughly $140,000 in cash that police allegedly confiscated during a drug raid in Koloa two years ago. Garden Island.

King tides are here. King tides have returned, triggering flooding at Nawiliwili on Monday afternoon. Garden Island.

Molokai

Activists demand water diverted for Molokai Ranch be restored. Molokai Ranch has been diverting water for nearly 100 years from central Molokai to its land on the west side of the island. Hawaii News Now.

Orchid industry in decline, Legislature rejects plastic ban, new allegations in Zuckerberg Kauai land dispute, Hirono pays up, HPD chief gets high marks, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Orchid show in Hilo ©2019 All Hawaii News

Orchid Industry in Decline. Statewide the production of flowers and other nursery products are worth more than $77 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Orchids make up almost 20 percent of that value. But the state’s orchid industry has been struggling in recent years. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii legislative committees reject plastics ban proposals. Two Hawaii legislative committees have rejected proposals that would have banned a variety of plastics used by the food service industry. Associated Press.

Are Hawaii Legislators Paid Too Much? It depends on who you compare them to. Compensation for lawmakers varies widely from state to state. Civil Beat.

Lyon contract scandal leaves Hawaii government officials scrambling. State and city agencies have been canceling or suspending contracts with Honolulu-­based Lyon Associates in the wake of a federal corruption probe involving the civil engineering firm whose president recently pleaded guilty to bribing government officials in Hawaii and Micronesia to obtain more than $10 million in contracts over the past decade. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii leads nation in union membership. Hawaii once again led the country in union membership with 139,000 unionized workers in 2018, 23.1 percent of wage and salary workers across the islands, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Pushes Bank Of America To Resolve Multimillion-Dollar Dispute. The company left the islands in 1997, but it had already been ordered to make $180 million in loans, partially because of discrimination against Native Hawaiians and Filipinos. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is thinking about switching drivers from a gas tax fee to a mileage fee, as a way to get more funding to fix our roads. Wednesday night was the first of many public meetings on the proposal. KHON2.

Here’s how to share your thoughts on the state’s plan to tax drivers by the mile. A controversial idea to charge Hawaii drivers based on how much they drive is now open to public input. The state Department of Transportation is starting a series of community meetings on the potential road usage charge. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s young people joined a national campaign against flavored tobacco Wednesday, marching from Aloha Tower to the state Capitol to take their message to lawmakers. Star-Advertiser.

Students Rally in Opposition to Teen Vaping. Hawaii Public Radio.

Execs with Xbox, 3Sixty Duty Free to advise Hawaii's Mana Up accelerator. Mana Up has added an executive with Microsoft’s Xbox video game business and an executive with 3Sixty Duty Free, an inflight duty-free retailer to the Hawaii-based product accelerator’s team of advisors. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard won high marks in her first annual review from her bosses at the city Police Commission. Star-Advertiser.

HPD Chief gets a good review for time on the job in new review system. Hawaii News Now.

Great annual review for Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard. KHON2.

Chief Ballard gets good marks in first evaluation. The full evaluation will be available to the media and the public Thursday. KITV.

HPD Chief Ballard Says Allegations Of Doctored Test Scores Are Unfounded. The chief told the Honolulu Police Commission Wednesday the city settled the case for $550,000 for financial reasons. Civil Beat.

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EVs costing state millions, blamed for airport parking congestion. The state is losing out on millions of dollars each year in annual parking revenues because electric vehicles get to park at the airport for free. Hawaii News Now.

Flying for spring break? Don’t count on airport parking. If you’re traveling off­-island during the busy spring break period, you might want to consider getting dropped off at Honolulu airport instead of parking there due to a parking crunch, state officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Bill to fund repairs on Pali Highway moving forward. A House committee approved the bill which would provide up to $15 million for landslide clean-up and rockfall mitigation. KHON2.

Work is continuing on stabilizing the slope above the Pali Highway along the Old Pali Road. An emergency proclamation was issued Feb. 22, designating the location of the Pali Highway landslides a disaster area and providing relief for related damage and losses. Star-Advertiser.

A private utility company in California with operations in Hawaii has agreed to acquire former Navy water and wastewater systems serving Kalaeloa. California Water Service Group announced the deal Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono made good on her word to donate her salary during the partial federal shutdown with a donation to The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank. The Democrat on Wednesday presented a check to The Food Basket Executive Director Kristin Frost Albrecht that’ll cover the purchase of enough rice to feed 450 families. West Hawaii Today.

Residential subdivision proposed for Puueo. A major Hawaii Island landowner is seeking to subdivide 39 acres of former sugar fields in Puueo for a residential development. Tribune-Herald.

Puna boat ramp study added to capital budget. Another bill to provide funding for a Puna boat ramp feasibility study appears dead for the legislative session. But the Legislature might still allocate the funds through the capital budget. Tribune-Herald.

Although there were no "new announcements", executives representing Southwest acknowledged the desire to bring affordable options for air travel to the Hilo-side of the Big Island. Big Island Video News.

The United States Postal Service is considering the relocation of services from the Kamuela Post Office, and the community will have the chance to comment on the proposal. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Officials ‘pleased’ with mayor’s housing nominee Lori Tsuhako. Linda Munsell named second in command. Maui News.

Water Restoration Advocates Critical of Kahoma Stream Management. Maui Now.

Thousands of o'opu die after stream dries up. Water diversions kept the stream dry for close to a 130 years.  Efforts community groups, made to bring water back now down the drain. KITV.

16 More MCCC Detainees Tranferred to Halawa, 5 Returned to Maui. Maui Now.

16 more MCCC inmates transferred to Halawa Correctional Facility. Sixteen more inmates have been identified in the March 11 riot at Maui Community Correctional Center. Star-Advertiser.

More inmates transferred to Halawa Correctional Facility in wake of last week's disturbance. KHON2.

500 indigenous scholars on Maui for conference. It is first time research event held in Hawaii. Maui News.

Kauai

New allegations in Zuckerberg dispute. Several people with ancestral claims to the disputed land parcels on Mark Zuckerberg’s 700-acre North Shore estate are accusing a corporation controlled by the Facebook CEO of using deceitful, high-pressure sales tactics while attempting to convince them to sell their families’ shares in the land. Garden Island.

County asks court to stop vacation rental. A month after filing a lawsuit against a local real estate developer for using his vacation home as a short-term rental property, the Kauai County Planning Department is taking on the billionaire founder of Oakley. Garden Island.

Invasive annihilation. From brown tree snakes to coqui frogs, parakeets and mongoose, miconia and common rush, Kauai has a list of invasive species that have taken root, and is planning to prevent other species from arriving. Garden Island.

The Enduring Appeal Of Hippies. A remake of a documentary evokes nostalgia for a different time when an enclave of free spirits sprang up on Kauai’s north shore. Civil Beat.