Hawaii losing tourism war, Kauai a stand-in for Gulf, Lingle off to China again, Kenoi hit with ethics complaint, more island news

Beach destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean have raised prices faster than Hawaii, but Hawaii remains more expensive, creating a tug of war between product quality and price, a mainland travel executive reports. Hawaii News Now.

Long-standing disrepair at one of Oahu's iconic tourist destinations is finally being addressed by the city. Star-Advertiser.

More than 53,000 people on the Web have watched a music video made on Kaua‘i to highlight the Gulf oil disaster, a news release says. Garden Island.

Hawaii’s senators say it's like a death in their own ‘ohana, with Senator Dan Inouye saying he has lost a brother. KHON2.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday said she will likely travel to China in her final months of office to foster relations with tourism and government officials in the fast-developing Asian nation. Associated Press.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday criticized a new federal law that will direct millions of dollars to Hawaii for Medicaid and education programs even though she and other governors sought some of the money almost six months ago. Associated Press.

The future of Aloha Stadium is an issue the next administration will have to deal with. KHON2.

A five-member Hawaii team made its best pitch yesterday in Washington, D.C., on why the state should get $75 million in federal Race to the Top grant money to turn around low-performing schools and make sweeping education reforms. Star-Advertiser.

Five representatives from the islands traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to try to win $75 million in Race to the Top funds for Hawaii. Civil Beat.

The top three candidates for mayor met for a second debate last night, hoping to show business leaders how they would improve the economic climate in Hawaii, especially in areas of mass transit, infrastructure and public-private partnerships. Star-Advertiser.

At its mouth, the Waihee River was only around a foot deep Monday afternoon - but that was good news to Scott Fisher of the Maui Coastal Land Trust. Maui News.

The mayor and his planning director are facing an ethics complaint, after they failed to file gift disclosures for a dinner they had last year with foreign investors in the Aina Lea development. West Hawaii Today.

While Maui County Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala stays overnight with his family in Lahaina when he's working on Maui, he returns to Lanai on his days off, his wife testified Monday. Maui News.

Acting mayor Kirk Caldwell, former city prosecutor Peter Carlisle and engineer Panos Prevedouros participated in Tuesday evening’s debate. KITV.

Arrested last month following a speeding violation, North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell now wants patrol officers to stop being so darned sneaky. Tribune-Herald.

Consul General of Israel to visit Kaua‘i Garden Island.

An 80-foot antenna plan lives on. Opponents don't like the way it looks, but supporters say the Wi-Fi tower in Central Oahu is just what they need. Hawaii News Now.

A comprehensive settlement has been reached to address federal Clean Water Act compliance at Honolulu's wastewater collection and treatment systems. Associated Press.

Ooma Beachside Village is not for sale, a consultant for the development told a commission Monday. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation is hoping its new website will help motorists navigate traffic when thousands of University of Hawaii-Manoa and private school students go back to class this month. KITV.

The West Maui Health Alliance (WMHA) is ready to refocus and work on the healthcare needs of the community. Lahaina News.

The Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii’s Ohana Medical Mission (PMAH OMM) recently installed a new set of officers and board of directors for 2010-2011. Filipino Chronicle.

Lingle appoints first woman chief justice, hoary bat stops roadwork, Honolulu sets mayoral election, Republicans get a mulligan, more Hawaii news

Gov. Linda Lingle appointed appeals Judge Katherine Leonard yesterday to become the state's fifth chief justice and the first woman to serve as head of the Hawaii Judiciary. Star-Advertiser.

Governor Linda Lingle has announced the nomination of Judge Katherine Leonard to be Hawaii's next chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court. If approved by the state senate, Leonard would become Hawaii's first female chief justice. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. Linda Lingle has nominated Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Katherine Leonard to be the next chief justice of the Hawaii state Supreme Court. Associated Press.

Text of Lingle's speech.

About a thousand members and supporters of the UNITE HERE Local 5 hotel workers union showed up in Waikiki Thursday to protest against the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Hotel, with more than 80 of them arrested after they blocked Waikiki traffic. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii's two U.S. House members on Thursday split their votes on a bill to restore jobless benefits, an issue that may resonate with unemployed workers who go to the polls in November. Associated Press.

The state labor department expects to process $10,000 retroactive claims, now that President Obama has signed off on an extension of unemployment benefits. KHON2.

Honolulu voters have just less than two months to decide who should serve the final two years of Mufi Hannemann's term as mayor. Star-Advertiser.

Looking back five decades to statehood, Honolulu mayors have marked many of the same political milestones en route to Honolulu Hale. Civil Beat.

The special election in May to fill Hawaii's 1st Congressional District seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie cost taxpayers $670,000, state elections officials confirmed on Thursday. KITV.

Republicans, taking advantage of a state law that gives political parties extra time to find replacements for candidates who have withdrawn, have found a challenger to state Rep. Hermina Morita on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

State Rep. Mina Morita said even her Republican friends are upset about the 11th-hour competition Morita got in her bid for re-election to the district that runs from Wailua Houselots to Ha‘ena. Garden Island.

It's a sign of the season. Politicians and political wannabe's signs and banners jockey for space on fences and walls. Hawaii News Now.

Perhaps sensing voter discontent, political challengers have cropped up right and left this election year to try to unseat Maui County incumbents in the state Legislature. Maui News.

Honolulu Councilman Rod Tam Thursday spoke for the first time publicly about being the subject of a criminal investigation. KITV.

In Kahana Valley State Park, fresh taro and sweet potato sprout from a garden adjacent to a road made from dirt and small chunks of cement. Cinder blocks mark grave sites of kupuna. Some trees have been chopped down or burned, their rotten insides exposed. Star-Advertiser.

Kilauea Volcano continues to put on a show that's delighting hundreds of visitors. KHON2.

West Hawaii residents are breathing easier these days, thanks to reduced sulfur dioxide emissions from Kilauea's east rift eruptive vents and weather conditions controlling the dispersal, said Tamar Elias, gas geochemist at U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. West Hawaii Today.

Economist Paul Brewbaker of TZ Economics told a meeting of the Realtors Association of Maui this past Friday that the great recession is over and the economic expansion has begun. Lahaina News.

Nearly 75 percent of the grading for Phase 1 of Ane Keohokalole Highway, known as the midlevel road, has been completed since its March groundbreaking, but work has been stopped until Aug. 15 because of the Hawaiian hoary bat, said Alex Leonard, project manager of Honolulu-based Nan Inc. West Hawaii Today.

The driving time between downtown Hilo and Kaumana will be shortened under a proposal from Mayor Billy Kenoi's administration to boost the speed limit on the Puainako Street extension. Tribune-Herald.

County Council members Wednesday approved a resolution urging the state Board of Education to reconsider its plan to consolidate three North Kohala schools into one K-12 school. West Hawaii Today.

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares is demanding an apology from former Mayor Alan Arakawa over his comments during his radio show. Maui News.

After seven months with no metal recycler on Molokai to dispose of junk cars and appliances, the County of Maui has secured a new contractor to run the island’s facility. Molokai Dispatch.

It’s not often that the object of a spearfishing contest is to get rid of introduced, invasive species. Garden Island.

A lawmaker in American Samoa has filed a lawsuit to stop the U.S. territory from spending money on Samoan Heritage Week in Hawaii without legislative approval. Associated Press.

Complete Hawaii coverage of civil unions HB444 veto, other Lingle vetoes. more Hawaii news

Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a civil-unions bill yesterday after concluding it was the equivalent to marriage, which she believes should be reserved for a man and a woman. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's governor on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions, ending weeks of speculation on how she would weigh in on the contentious, emotional debate. Associated Press.

In announcing her veto of HB 444, Gov. Linda Lingle called it maybe the hardest decision she's made in eight years in office. Hawaii News Now.

Saying House bill 444 was essentially marriage by another name Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have granted the same rights and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. KHON2.

It was an argument, and people driving on Beretania Street couldn't miss it as they drove past the state Capitol about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Civil Beat.

Governor Lingle's HB444 Statement: KHON2.

The ACLU and other pro-civil unions groups expect to file suit in state court within the next month or so, after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed civil union legislation Tuesday. KITV

Supporters who wanted civil unions given the same status as marriage aren't happy with the Governor's decision, and vow to continue fighting. KHON2.

At least two of the three leading candidates to succeed Linda Lingle as governor say it should be up to a vote of the people to decide the issue of civil unions. Hawaii News-Now.

"I VOTE" was the message emblazoned on white T-shirts and buttons that hundreds of opponents to the civil-unions bill wore yesterday. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday vetoed House Bill 444, which took two years to be approved by the state Legislature and would have given same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights and benefits as couples united by traditional marriage. Garden Island.

The civil unions bill may have gotten the most attention, but the governor also vetoed a number of other measures Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has vetoed legislation that would have banned shark feeding, including by boat tours that offer a close-up look at sharks. KITV

Saying it could take funds away from other programs at a time when most state employees are making sacrifices, Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a proposal to raise the salary cap for the state schools superintendent and provide performance bonuses for other top education officials. Star-Advertiser.

UH officials say a major security breach could impact an estimated 53,000 people. KHON2.

As dozens of women and children danced to the beat of Taiko drums Saturday at Kohala Hongwanji Mission's bon odori dance, Waimea resident Luana Cuyo said she could feel the spirit of her late stepfather. West Hawaii Today.

Firefighters responded to at least a dozen fires during the Fourth of July weekend, some of which were suspected to be caused by fireworks. Maui News.

Fires -- at least one possibly resulting from festive fireworks use -- broke out in each corner of Hawaii Island during the holiday weekend. Tribune-Herald.

“Voices of Maui: Natives and Newcomers,” a new book authored by award-winning Lahaina News columnist Norm Bezane, is being previewed on a YouTube video and will debut online and at selected locations in Lahaina this week. Lahaina News.

This week Governor Lingle has an opportunity to leave a historic legacy for Hawai’i. HB 1665 protects Hawaii’s history by prohibiting sale of government owned Hawaiian fishponds. Molokai Dispatch.

Today's the deadline for Lingle to act on civil unions, 30 other bills on veto list, trespassing census worker, no free lunch, fireworks cleanup, BBQ winners, more

Although ohia lehua is one of the most abundant trees in the Hawaiian Islands and dominates our forests, it is not often found in landscape settings. West Hawaii Today.

Tuesday is the deadline for the governor to act on more than 30 bills that are on her potential veto list. KHON2.

Gov. Linda Lingle is set to announce her highly awaited decision on a proposal to allow same-sex couples to form civil unions. Associated Press.

How big of a deal is Gov. Linda Lingle's decision on Hawaii civil unions today? Civil Beat.

The civil unions bill is to give same sex and heterosexual couples all the benefits of marriage under Hawaii law. KITV.

We're on the eve of one of Governor Lingle's most highly anticipated decisions KHON2.

The first-ever county employee furloughs coupled with vacancies in some Kaua‘i Police Department civilian positions will add up to suffering service, KPD Chief Darryl Perry said last week. Garden Island.

The number of low-income Hawaii children receiving free lunch during the summer through a federally funded nutrition program has declined sharply, a drop the state attributes to fewer participating organizations opting to serve a midday meal. Star-Advertiser.

In these divisive times, Census worker Russell Haas has come to expect some resistance when he goes door to door to count the residents of the rugged communities near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. He didn't expect to get arrested. Associated Press.

Two Big Island teachers were named recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, Gov. Linda Lingle announced yesterday. Star-Advertiser.

Black Press, which bought the Honolulu Advertiser last month and turned it into the Star Advertiser, has bought 11 more newspapers in British Columbia. Hawaii News Now.

The fireworks fuse is burning toward July 14.  That's the next Honolulu city council vote on banning fireworks. Hawaii News Now.

Firecrackers are great, until you have to clean up afterward. Garden Island.

Ranch Says No Wind Negotiations Underway. Molokai Dispatch.

Mike Lindley and son Jackson will wake up Tuesday morning, to start their adventure, which includes 50 hikes in 50 states in 50 states. KITV.

Jake Newlon is the Big Island's sultan of smoke. Tribune-Herald.

Transair, which flies the mail into and out of Maui every day and flies commercial cargo at night, will begin a daytime Maui cargo stop Wednesday. Maui News.

Gov. Lingle's popularity hits 8-year low, congressional candidates rumble in TV debate, voters prefer Democrat for next governor, Neighbor Island lawmakers weigh civil unions, more Hawaii news

Gov. Linda Lingle's job approval rating has tumbled to the lowest point in her two terms as the state's chief executive, a new Hawai'i Poll has found, as teacher furloughs and a sour economy have weakened her popularity.

The new version of the state budget, passed last week by the state Legislature, keeps almost all the budget cuts recommended by Gov. Linda Lingle.

A bill providing for civil unions exposed splits among the Big Island's legislative delegation.

Kaua‘i delegation split on civil unions

Hawai'i voters are divided between former Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the Democratic primary for governor in September, but prefer either Democrat to Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, a Republican, in the November general election, a new Hawai'i Poll has found.

President Obama will appeal to Honolulu voters to choose a Democrat in the special election for Congress, as national Democrats grow increasingly alarmed that Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, could snatch the president's hometown district.

Three candidates running in the special election for the 1st Congressional District seat agreed native Hawaiians should receive some form of federal recognition similar to American Indians.

Three veteran politicians waged a battle of big ideas Monday night.

The most heated exchanges came between front runners Ed Case and Charles Djou in a televised debate for the 1st Congressional District Monday night.

Cheers, boos, and bursts of laughter - ask the live audience, and the one word nearly everyone used to describe Monday night's congressional debate was 'spirited'.

A plan to shift the route of Honolulu's proposed elevated commuter rail project to avoid Honolulu International Airport airspace has found favor with the Federal Aviation Administration, the city said yesterday.

A 66-year-old Colorado utility executive who was set to retire this summer was killed on his Big Island farm Sunday night after he was pinned under an overturned tractor.

Hawaiian Airlines began a major upgrade of its fleet Monday. The company received a new state-of-the-art plane for its trans-Pacific flights.

Man claims police illegally confiscated his pakalolo

The Lahainaluna High School boarders program survived in the Legislature's budget for the next fiscal year, but its future remains uncertain with Gov. Linda Lingle still having 45 days to take action on the lawmakers' spending plan.

Olowalu businesses and residents were advised to prepare to leave the area, if necessary, if a nearby brush fire gets too close, said county spokeswoman Mahina Martin on Monday night.

Gov. Lingle delivers final State of the State address, civil unions bill lingering, dry spell persists, don't blame it on Kona and some lucky dogs

 Lingle's speech: video. transcript.
 
Looking for a bridge between recession and recovery, Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday proposed several short-term tax incentives to encourage the private sector to hire workers and invest in construction projects to stimulate the economy.

After seven years at the helm, Gov. Linda Lingle is still trying to steer a twitchy economy to safety, rebuild an education system that its supporters say is just fine and pump some life into a tourism industry that continues to need government help.

With a focus on improving the quality of life for residents, stimulating the economy, creating jobs, improving education and building a stronger future for Hawaii, Governor Lingle delivered her eighth and final State of the State Address to the people of Hawaii on Monday morning.

In her speech she talked about the financial crisis and dealing with a $1.2 billion shortfall.

During her final State of the State Address, Gov. Linda Lingle on Monday took aim at Hawaii education system toward the end of her speech, angering some education officials.

Among those listening to Gov. Linda Lingle's final State of the State speech yesterday at the state Capitol was an old political buddy from Maryland, Michael Steele, the controversial chairman of the Republican National Committee.

State House Speaker Calvin Say said yesterday that he will announce by Friday whether the House will vote on a civil-unions bill and suggested he may not have the two-thirds' majority to override a potential veto.

Even the wettest spot in Hawai'i — Mount Wai'ale'ale — wasn't so wet last year as the state experienced below-normal rainfall in all but a few spots.

A local researcher said what Hawaii residents often call vog is a mix of volcanic ash and pollution.

North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell is still considering whether he will run for a second term, while other lawmakers are preparing their re-election bids.

Jim Donahue doesn't know how many dogs he and his business, Lucky D Kennels, have been able to save through a dog fostering program.

Last summer’s restructuring of the fee schedule for the Wailua Golf Course has moved it further from self-sufficiency, not closer, and the Carvalho administration is working on a proposal that would walk back some of the changes.

Furlough fighting, coffee picking, sugar era ends, floods threatening and other Hawaii news

State senators on a special legislative committee examining public teacher furloughs yesterday said they want to urge Gov. Linda Lingle to make use of $35 million in federal stimulus money that is entirely under her control.

Parents who want their children back in school on Furlough Fridays lost a round in federal court yesterday, but one attorney plans to appeal the ruling, and the judge urged both sides to settle the issue before it goes to trial.

State tax collection have dropped again.

The impending auction of a partial silver-plated serving set salvaged from the USS Arizona just months after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor is being condemned by at least one former sailor who witnessed the sinking of the battleship.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a flash flood watch for all of the Hawaiian Islands to start on Tuesday night and last through Thursday.

Renee Mokihana Nobriga, 25, was crowned the 2010 Miss Hawaii USA on November 9, 2009 at LEVEL4 in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.

Parker Ranch is selling its realty arm as the 152-year-old operation continues to liquidate assets and trim operating costs following a year of multimillion-dollar losses.

Kona resident Anthony Caravalho Jr.'s fingers flew Sunday morning, searching for and picking sun-kissed, ruby coffee cherries from trees at the Ueshima Coffee Co. estate in Holualoa.

Fifty-seven divers from Maui, Lanai and Oahu came out to the third and last Roi Roundup of the year.

The official end of Kaua‘i processed sugar officially came around 4 p.m. Monday, when the transport ship Moku Pahu left Nawiliwili Harbor with the last Gay & Robinson sugar from the final harvest.

Lingle goes public with budget woes: news reports, transcript and video links

The worst may not be over for Hawaii state workers. Governor Linda Lingle, in a videocast streamed live on the internet, delivered more grim news Thursday afternoon. She says a second round of layoffs is likely.

Gov. Linda Lingle is planning another round of state worker layoffs, plus cuts to social service programs that will result in "a fundamental restructuring of state government."

Gov. Linda Lingle cautioned yesterday that a second round of layoffs because of the budget deficit would require a fundamental restructuring of state government, but she would not discuss the number of state workers who could lose their jobs or other specifics.

Transcript

Video

The state Board of Education last night failed to approve a proposal that would have reduced the public library system's budget by $5.7 million.

State legislators have ordered Ted Liu, the embattled director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, to provide a written accounting of his decision to lay off nearly all workers in the Hawaii Film Office, which has brought about $1 billion to the state since 2001.

A spike in enrollment, long-range planning and purging of low-demand courses have allowed the University of Hawaii at Hilo to avoid -- at least so far -- some of the draconian cuts happening at UH-Manoa.

The state's war on invasive species may have to take a backseat to saving the struggling agriculture industry, as state officials scramble for funding in a down economy

The Bookmobile resumed service Tuesday after mechanical problems were addressed. But, because of budget cuts, service to West Maui was eliminated.

To demonstrate just how easy using wind as a clean, renewable energy source is, Smith, along with business partner Dane Eirhart, came up with an idea which they’ve been proudly parading around town in recent days.

Union haggling, more flu and other Tuesday news

Lingle is busy with layoffs, talks and duel with Inouye

The state and the unions were expected to be back at the bargaining table Tuesday.

The Lingle administration yesterday provided public-sector labor unions with a list of 1,100 state workers who face potential layoffs because of the state's budget deficit, but Gov. Linda Lingle did not estimate how much money the state would save by layoffs and repeated her preference for furloughs to reduce labor costs.

Employees ratified a labor agreement with The Maui News on Monday, accepting a 10 percent cut in wages and other concessions on health and pension benefits to help the newspaper survive depressed economic conditions.

What appeared to be a groundswell of support from young voters for a Hawaii-born presidential candidate never materialized into ballots cast as the 50th state once again came in last among states in voter participation.

In Hawaii, the moon will start to take a small bite out of the sun at 5:20 p.m. today, according to the Bishop Museum. By 6:14 p.m., roughly an hour before sunset, the eclipse will be over.

Local doctors said they are seeing an unusual number of flu cases, both swine flu and normal influenza.

At least 69 sailors and Marines tested positive for H1N1 swine flu within a Navy ship group now visiting Hawai'i.

The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday will consider a pair of proposed bills relating to a ban on plastic checkout bags and a curfew on drinking alcohol in county parks and recreation facilities that could impact all of island’s residents and visitors.

New Hawaii stamp, fewer post offices, Big Island swine flu death and other top Monday news

The U.S. Postal Service will unveil the com- mem- orative 50th anniver- sary statehood stamp next month at the Hawaii Statehood Conference.

The U.S. Postal Service in Hawai'i has undertaken a study to determine whether to close any of its 104 post offices, stations and branches as part of a national effort to stanch billion-dollar losses stemming from the rise of text messaging, e-mail and other forms of electronic communication.

Gov. Linda Lingle's list of state workers who face possible layoffs is expected to be delivered to public-sector labor unions today.

The fight over furloughs got more heated, after the Governor defended her decision to issue notices warning hundreds of state employees that they are at risk of getting laid off.

Gov. Linda Lingle and the leaders of four state employee unions are to meet on Tuesday for negotiations on new contracts.

As America marks the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing today, scientists and longtime Hawaii residents recall the important roles that the isles played in the Apollo program.

Hawaii suffers its third swine flu death, this time a mother on the Big Island.

Maui County officials flew to Molokai on Saturday to warn Kaunakakai and Kalae residents that if they don't conserve water, a shortage could become a crisis.

Hawaii County is moving forward with efforts to sell its Hamakua lands to raise an expected $8.2 million that's needed to avoid a budget shortfall.

NELHA gates to be closed on weekends

The Board of Ethics suggested that Wayne Nishiki review the Maui County ethics code, but took no further action on a complaint against the Maui County Council member in its decision last month.


“An exceptionally long total eclipse of the sun” will be partially visible from the Hawaiian Islands before sunset Tuesday, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Veto override, Sunshine Law top Thursday news

A late push by the airline industry helped persuade the state Senate yesterday not to override a veto of a bill that would have raised the barrel tax on petroleum products by $1 to help pay for food and energy security programs and Gov. Linda Lingle's clean energy initiative.

A major environmental and energy conservation bill died yesterday when the state Legislature failed to override Gov. Linda Lingle's veto of the measure.

Hawai'i's eight-year effort to build a technology industry via massive income tax credits for investors has come to an end.

Maui Memorial Medical Center officials have been given the authority to negotiate a public-private partnership after Gov. Linda Lingle allowed a bill paving the way for the action to become law without her signature on Wednesday.

The number of Hawaii households facing foreclosure rose nearly 427 percent in June compared with the same month last year — its second worst rate in a year.

Energized by the public outrage over a recent County Council reorganization, a group is forming to explore the creation of a West Hawaii County.

The Hawaii County Council reacted to a lawsuit filed by West Hawaii Today by calling off committee hearings scheduled for Tuesday in Kailua-Kona.

As tropical storm Carlos continues on its weakening trend about 1,800 miles southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, forecasters say it likely will not impact the 50th state.

Peeling paint and water leaks are damaging Keaukaha gymnasium, prompting Hawaii County to sue the two companies that designed and built the 6-year-old, $4.3 million Hilo facility.

Union negotiations top Tuesday headlines

The state's chief labor negotiator walked away from talks with four government employee unions after just half an hour yesterday, and Gov. Linda Lingle warned that she could begin sending out layoff notices in coming days.

Labor tensions continued rising yesterday as Gov. Linda Lingle's negotiator walked out of bargaining talks, and the governor said she is preparing for mass layoff notices to be sent as early as Friday.

The strain continues to come up with the state's $730 million shortfall. Unions, state officials and the four Hawaii mayors met Monday to come up with a solution

State negotiators walked out of a meeting Monday afternoon because they said union representatives did not want to discuss issues on the record.

A misinterpreted navigation system, a sleep-deprived skipper, faulty equipment and an inexperienced bridge team led to the grounding of the Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal on the night of Feb. 5, according to a Navy Safety Investigation Board report.

Folks at the Honolulu Christian Church in Manoa — trying to cope with growing pains and thinking about adding a second sanctuary — thought their prayers had been answered three years ago when the owner of an adjacent property offered to give the church first shot at buying his 11,250-square-foot lot at 2234 University Ave

A presidential-sized parking problem is turning some residents against a Manoa church.

The quest for short sales and foreclosure properties dominated real estate activity on the Big Island and Kauai last month and continued to drive property prices down in most categories.

After hitting an all-time low of 59 percent in April, Maui's hotel occupancy rate fell another 3.1 percentage points, or 5 percent, in May to 55.9 percent.

The draft environmental assessment for proposed Alii Drive improvements along Oneo Bay in Kailua-Kona was released this week.

Of all the objects in the night sky, few can compare with the ethereal beauty of the planetary nebulae.

Not many people seem to know the location of the Weuweu-Kawai-iki Fishpond.

Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr., proud owner of a 6X barong Tagalog (Filipino dress shirt), said that if he gets to the Philippines any time soon, he will visit Paoay, Ilocos Norte Mayor Bonifacio Carpio Clemente Jr.

Top Hawaii Headlines: Thursday morning edition

Matson Navigation Co.'s top unionized officers could strike tomorrow -- putting a crimp in Hawaii's delicate supply chain -- if they do not reach accord during scheduled talks with the shipping company today.

Crew members, including captains, on Matson Navigation Co.'s trans-Pacific cargo ships have authorized their union to call a strike if a contract agreement is not reached.

Moderate to "exceptional" drought conditions have gripped much of the state, leaving firefighters prepping for a potentially busy summer of brushfires and spurring calls for water conservation on the Neighbor Islands.

Swine flu is spreading through the community, with 205 confirmed cases in the past week, the state Department of Health reported.

Ten Hawai'i students and two chaperones remain in quarantine in South Korean hospitals over swine flu concerns and likely will not be cleared until tomorrow or the weekend, officials with the Korean consulate in Honolulu said.

The United Public Workers yesterday filed a complaint against Gov. Linda Lingle and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann with the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board, seeking to prevent them from talking publicly about potential layoffs and contract negotiations.

Taking the first official step of her weeks-long promise, Gov. Linda Lingle signed yesterday an executive order to force tens of thousands of state employees to take three unpaid days off each month, starting in July.

People who have been illegally living on state-owned land next to the Kahului Airport runway have been asked to move by day's end or face criminal trespassing charges, state officials said.

Only one more week until Oahu drivers experience a big change in how they drive. Beginning next Wednesday, cell phone use while driving is banned unless you use a hands-free device.

Hawaii County government gets high marks for its financial controls over more than $34.6 million in federal funds, according to its most recent outside audit.

Consolidated Resorts Inc. appeared headed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, and employees of its activity desk subsidiary Lahaina Ticket Co. were told it was shutting down.

The bulldozers are busy in the corner of land where the Pahoa Bypass diverges from Old Government Road, a.k.a. Pahoa Main Street.

Student numbers for fall are up sharply at both the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College -- and the main reason appears to be the slumping economy

Dismayed and surprised are how the teachers describe their reaction to the news that Waters of Life Public Charter School has lost its charter.

Top Hawaii Headlines: Thursday morning edition

State and union negotiators meet with one main goal in mind, to reach new government worker contracts without furloughs or layoffs.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday defended her furlough plans for state workers from an objection by the federal Social Security Administration.

Four employee unions and the state have fewer than two weeks to come to an agreement on how to cut $688 million n spending to ease the budget deficit.

Hawaii's congressional delegation is asking Gov. Linda Lingle to reconsider her decision to furlough state workers who are paid with federal funds, especially those who process claims for disabled residents and military personnel.

Hawaii County employees will avoid furloughs or layoffs threatened against their state counterparts under unprecedented action announced Tuesday by the state Council of Mayors.

Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle and City Council Chairman Todd Apo are seriously looking at the possibility of running for Honolulu mayor if Mayor Mufi Hannemann steps down to run for governor.

An Oahu grand jury indicted a tenured math professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa yesterday for arson in a case that his colleagues call a tragedy reminiscent of the movie "A Beautiful Mind."

North Korea is reportedly preparing to fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii early next month.

Hawaii County residents spoke unanimously Tuesday -- this isn't the time to change council committee chairmanships and last-minute resolutions isn't the way to do it.

Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole was made the council's new vice chairwoman on a 5-4 vote Tuesday following nearly eight hours of testimony, debate and bickering.

A friendly crowd filled an elementary school cafeteria Tuesday night to speak in favor of locating the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii

Maui County Council members took steps Wednesday that could lead to the long-anticipated curbside pickup of residential recycling items such as glass, cans, newspapers and plastic.

Top Hawaii Headlines: Thursday morning edition

Hawaii continues to have the lowest rate of gun-related deaths in the nation, which state officials and a national organization attribute to Hawaii's strict gun laws and low gun ownership.

The Army yesterday said it has given up efforts to retry 1st Lt. Ehren Watada on three charges for refusing to deploy to Iraq in 2006, but has not made up its mind about two other court-martial charges or the possibility of administrative punishment.

The state's $5-billion-a-year budget and an estimated $300 million in tax increases are to be decided in vetoes and possible overrides today and tomorrow.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday continued to denounce tax increases approved by the Legislature when she took her message of no new taxes to the people in a live webcast. The governor's Web site was overloaded during the 4:15 p.m. time slot and many late-arriving viewers had trouble loading the page.

A bill that aims to plug a $150 million hole in the state's two-year budget also portends the demise of the state's burgeoning high-technology industry, some lawmakers say.

Two more O'ahu adults appear to have contracted swine flu, which would bring the number of Hawai'i cases to five.

One of two men who allegedly killed and ate a family's pet dog pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree animal cruelty.

Property taxes would be held steady and free bus service continued, but the county's 2 percent land fund would be suspended and prime Hamakua acreage sold under an amended budget Mayor Billy Kenoi released Tuesday.

Furloughs of nonunion county legislative and executive branch workers are off the table in Hawaii County.

As negotiations continue to lay the groundwork for a new Target and expanded Safeway store in Hilo, a final environmental assessment anticipates no significant impacts.

A jury on Wednesday found Kelii Acasia guilty of manslaughter for the beating death of a man in Waikiki last year.

Five Keanae residents launched a campaign this week to stop the state Department of Education from permanently closing the one-room schoolhouse in their remote East Maui community.

Hawaiians in da House (and the Senate)

HONOLULU -- More than 300 people chanted, danced, blew conch shells and beat drums in the Capitol Rotunda starting at 4 a.m. and continuing well into the afternoon today, protesting the ceded lands case being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Details of the oral arguments by attorneys for the Gov. Linda Lingle administration and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, as well as a transcript, are well-documented here by Honolulu land-use attorney Robert Thomas.

The Hawaii Legislature has also leapt into the fray.

The House and the Senate have passed SCR 40, urging the administration to drop the appeal.

A more substantive bill, SB 1677, requires a two-thirds vote by the Legislature before ceded lands can be sold. It unanimously passed the Senate on Feb. 20 and will be taken up by the

Bipartisan aloha hits Washington, D.C.

There were shakas all around when Gov. Linda Lingle and President Obama got together for a photo op Sunday night, one of two meetings the governor had with Obama while in Washington, D.C. for the National Governors Association meeting.

(Photo provided by the Office of Governor Felix Camacho of Guam.)

This land is my land, this land is my land

HONOLULU -- Hawaiian activists plan to set fire to Gov. Linda Lingle’s U.S. Supreme Court petition and light their torches with it as they rally at the state Capitol against the administration’s plans to sell some of the land it holds in trust.

Like a government version of Kramer vs. Kramer, two state agencies will duke it out in a courtroom Wednesday when the Lingle administration and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs each tells the highest court in the land that the other has no right to property ceded to the state following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

“This state appeal has the potential to undermine all Native Hawaiian programs and assets as well as undermine the legal basis for Native Hawaiian federal recognition,” OHA Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona said during a news conference today on the grounds of Iolani Palace, an important symbol to the Native Hawaiian community.

While the lawyers fight, Native Hawaiians, alongside those “Hawaiian at heart,” will hold a vigil at the Capitol from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. There will be prayers, pahu drums, chanting every hour, on the hour as part of a series of events planned that day in Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, New Haven, Conn., and Washington, D.C.

Activists are also calling for Hawaiians and sympathizers to take a day off work Wednesday to join the rally and send a message about the strength of the movement.

“A far-reaching decision by the U.S. Supreme Court could affect OHA’s ability to carry out its mission of bettering the conditions of Native Hawaiians,” Apoliona said.

Underscoring how divided the state is over the issue, the Democrat-controlled Hawaii Senate today passed a bill requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature before ceded lands can be sold and a resolution urging the Republican governor and her attorney general to withdraw their appeal. The Democrat-controlled House, meanwhile, didn’t move similar bills by the deadline for consideration.

OHA’s response to the state petition bases its argument on the Apology Resolution, enacted by Congress in 1993, on the 100th anniversary of the Hawaiian monarchy. OHA maintains it places a cloud on the title to ceded lands, forcing the state government to hold them intact until questions of Native Hawaiian self-governance can be answered. Last year, the Hawaii Supreme Court upheld that view.

The state disagrees.

“These public trust lands were transferred by the Congress to the people of the state of Hawaii in 1959 for the benefit of all the people of the state of Hawaii to be used for the public purposes set out in the Admission Act like for the establishment of public schools and public improvements for betterment of homes and farms,” says Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett. “The Admission Act explicitly gave the state the right to sell or transfer ceded lands for the purposes set out in the Admission Act.”

Ceded lands comprise 1.2 million acres of land on all Hawaiian islands - about 29 percent of the total land mass of the state and more than 95 percent of the public lands held by the state.

Gov. Lingle goes to Washington

Gov. Linda Lingle heads to Washing-
ton D.C., Thursday to join coll-
eagues from other states, three common-
wealths and two territories for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.

Jobs, the economy, infrastructure and health care top the list of concerns the NGA will tackle during the three-day meeting. Lingle doesn’t plan to return to Hawaii until Friday, Feb. 27. Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona will join Lingle for some of the sessions.

The itinerary includes a black-tie evening with President Obama and the First Lady on Sunday at the White House. Governors return to the White House on Monday, Feb. 23. They’ll hold meetings with Obama and members of his Cabinet on issues important to their states.

States currently are jostling for their share of the $787 billion stimulus plan that Obama is expected to sign into law this week. Hawaii may get almost $1 billion of that.

Under the plan, the states will divide $27 billion – far less than the $64 billion they said they needed – for “shovel ready” infrastructure projects. The law requires the projects to pass federal government’s scrutiny and be judged ready to go within 120 days in order to infuse jobs into the economy quickly.

Founded in 1908, the NGA is the collective voice of the nation's governors and represents governors on Capitol Hill and before the Administration.

Lingle also is scheduled to meet with Sen. Daniel Inouye and Sen. Daniel Akaka, both Democrats from Hawaii.

Lingle’s enthusiasm for energy self-sufficiency will be shared with her colleagues Sunday during a panel discussion with experts on energy infrastructure policy, including siting, regulation, financing and deployment and development of "smart grid" technologies and new pipeline systems. Panelists include Pat Wood III, principal, Wood3 Resources and Jesse Berst, managing director, GlobalSmartEnergy.com.

"Our nation's competitiveness and national security are inextricably linked to energy," Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, chairwoman of the Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. "Establishing an effective, sustainable energy infrastructure system will ensure that we can meet America's future energy needs."

The focus on infrastructure will be highlighted Saturday with the Miller Center Discussion and Debate about Infrastructure. Modeled on Oxford-style debates, the Miller Center National Debate series looks at issues surrounding America's role in the world, its responsibility to its citizens and the way its policies fulfill its founding principles.

The debate will focus on balancing a federal infrastructure policy with energy, environmental and economic priorities. Robert MacNeil, former co-anchor of the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, will moderate. Panelists include NGA Chairman Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Douglas Foy, president of DIF Enterprises; and JayEtta Hecker, senior fellow of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

The last half hour of debate will be question and answer session among all governors. The debate will be webcast live.

Lingle held in effigy as Hawaiians converge

WAIKIKI – They have their differences among themselves, but all were united in their anger toward Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle.

Thousands of Hawaiians and “Hawaiians at heart” marched in the streets of Waikiki today and converged in Kapiolani Park to commemorate the 116th anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Even though a century has passed since U.S. forces came to the aid of a Hawaii provisional government and forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate her throne – and 50 years has passed since statehood – disputes between the Native Hawaiians and the state government are, if anything, becoming even more inflamed.

At most immediate issue is the Lingle administration’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a Hawaii Supreme Court opinion that placed a moratorium on the state selling ceded lands until an agreement could be worked out between the state and the Native Hawaiian people. That case is scheduled to be heard in Washington D.C. on Feb. 25.

Ceded lands are lands once owned by the Hawaiian monarchy but ceded to the state to be held in trust for Hawaiians. Ceded lands comprise 1.2 million acres of land on all Hawaiian islands - about 29 percent of the total land mass of the state.

Protesters carried a huge effigy of Lingle, along with signs saying “Lingle thou shalt not steal,” “Return stolen ceded lands” and “America get your ass out of Hawaii.”

Lingle could not be reached for comment today, a Saturday, but she has defended her administration’s actions in the past.

“Anyone who characterizes our taking this case to the United States Supreme Court as somehow being against Hawaiian rights is simply misrepresenting our position on the situation,” Lingle said in a Nov. 24 news conference defending the state’s stance. “The issue involving the ceded lands is an important one for the state because it affects all the people, the Native Hawaiians and non Native Hawaiians.”