Honolulu mulls high-rise sprinkler retrofits, WIC program trimmed, DOT dismantles homeless camps, Waikiki flotilla enforcement sought, Maui hospital takeover deemed a success, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu high-rises © 2017 All Hawaii News

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s bill to require that older residential high-rises be retrofitted with sprinklers in the wake of the fatal Marco Polo condominium fire was put on hold Tuesday by City Council members. Civil Beat.

Firefighters and condominium owners Tuesday met before a City Council committee for the first time since the July 14 Marco Polo fire left three people dead and discussed potential incentives for, as well as obstacles in the way of, retrofitting aging residential towers with sprinkler systems. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of owners of Marco Polo apartments, where three people died recently in a fire that swept through the building, have secondary hallway doors with louvers that boost air circulation into their units but also can help a fire spread more quickly, residents and fire experts say. Star-Advertiser.

Two state agencies are now taking action over asbestos at the scene of the massive fire at the Marco Polo building. KHON2.

The state is cutting dozens of positions at the Women, Infants and Children — or WIC — program aimed at helping low-income mothers and children as part of a revamp officials say is needed to deal with a federal funding decline and higher payroll costs. Hawaii News Now.

A sailor’s computer input error on the Pearl Harbor-based destroyer USS John Paul Jones apparently caused an $80 million missile defense test failure off the coast of Kauai on June 21, according to DefenseNews.com. Star-Advertiser.

State wants to change boating, harbor rules. KHON2.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council held an unprecedented emergency meeting Monday to approve a letter urging the Trump Administration to maintain 11 marine reserves that are under federal review, including Papahanaumokuakea in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Civil Beat.

Nine-year-old Robbie Bond decided to do something about the threat of budget cuts to public parks — launching Kids Speak for Parks and the website kidsspeakforparks.com as a way for children to speak up and share their experiences at parks and monuments in jeopardy of funding cuts. Star-Advertiser.

An Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee reports money from a Hawaiian princess is helping pay legal fees. Hawaii News Now.

Hurricane Hilary, churning in the Eastern Pacific off Mexico, is expected to crash into a cyclone that's also tracking westward — Hurricane Irwin — sometime in the next 48 hours, the National Hurricane Center said. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Contractors began dismantling several homeless encampments near the H-1 freeway Tuesday, part of the state’s effort to keep areas near roadways clear of illegal encampments. Star-Advertiser.

State Steps Up Its Homeless Sweeps Along Highways. Aggressive new effort comes as officials question if moving people along encourages them to use shelters. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is leading an effort to remove homeless encampments near major traffic corridors. Hawaii Public Radio.

Additional rescue personnel for the July 4 "floatilla" cost taxpayers $16,000. That led Honolulu's City Council to adopt a resolution calling for regulations against the event Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

It's only been about two weeks since the Fourth of July flotilla but some city and state officials don't want a repeat, and they are doing what they can to make sure that doesn't happen. KITV.

State and city law enforcement officials say they support a call for stiffer enforcement of regulations at the annual, mostly unorganized Fourth of July event known as Floatilla, but also stressed that they are already throwing all the resources they can at the problem. Star-Advertiser.

The state has fined Aloha Petroleum Ltd. $200,000 for fuel tank violations. Star-Advertiser.

Aloha Petroleum has been fined $200,000 by the Hawaii State Department of Health for failing to notify officials about a "suspected fuel release" within 24 hours of finding it. Pacific Business News.

Some Hawaii students and other volunteers are getting their feet wet in the medical field, while simultaneously easing the workload for some doctors and nurses. It's all part of a new project at Queen's Medical Center geared toward improving patient’s experiences. KITV.

Honolulu ranks among the top 15 best cities to live, despite a low rank for affordability, according to a new WalletHub study. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Following demolition of the former Hilo Tropical Gardens, Kamehameha Schools officials say they will take a closer look at the management plan for their Keaukaha properties that could help identify future land uses. Tribune-Herald.

What went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again were topmost on the minds of members of the county Water Board on Tuesday as they heard an update on well breakdowns in West Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

$5,000 arson reward fund remains on table. West Hawaii Today.

There’s a lot of rubbish in the Big Island’s rain forest gulches, and a Paauilo man is on a mission to remove it. Tribune-Herald.

Two native plant species are thriving today in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Hawaii Public Radio.

Elson “Bobo” Kanaina Brown, the last member of the legendary band Hilo Hawaiians and son of founder William “Bunny” Brown, died Saturday surrounded by family at his Hilo home after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 77. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

For five years, two planning guiding documents of Maui County have been at odds when it comes to short-term rental homes. Maui News.

The transition phase of the operational takeover of Maui County public hospitals by Kaiser Permanente subsidiary Maui Health System has ended, and it was a success, said an official with the new management. Maui News.

The transition phase is now complete for the Maui Health System, the Kaiser Permanente subsidiary which took over management of three Maui hospitals (Kula Hospital & Clinic, Lānaʻi Community Hospital and Maui Memorial Medical Center) on July 1st. Maui Now.

Some new enforcement strategies and more participation from Lahaina patrol and other officers contributed to significant increases in citations for seat belt and cellphone violations during the recent Click It or Ticket campaign, police said. Maui News.

The Maui Humane Society announced it has achieved a 92% Live Release Rate for dogs in Fiscal 2017, meaning more than nine out of every ten dogs who entered the shelter were either adopted, transferred to rescue partners for adoption, or returned to their owners. Maui Now.

Every summer, rice coral (montipora capitata) colonies around Maui and in the aquarium’s exhibits spawn shortly after the new moon cycle. Maui News.

Kauai

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. shared his plan for Kauai’s future Tuesday during the Kauai Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual Mayor’s Luncheon held at the Sheraton Kauai Resort. Garden Island.

More than 50 people attended Monday's public hearing, hosted by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, to comment on proposed changes to boating laws and rules at harbors. Garden Island.

A young pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl that tangled with a vehicle in late March has died after being hit by another vehicle two months after it was rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Two more were found dead on Kauai’s roads on the same day, according to a press release from the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources. Garden Island.

Grant to fund coral reef education, feral cats topic at Conservation Congress, human rights organization seeks help for Hawaii's foreign fishermen, sewer capacity slows Honolulu housing plan, Kona mulls homeless cleanup, Tropical Storm Greg fizzles, Hurricane Hillary forms, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Coral and fish © 2017 All Hawaii News

Those who study Hawaii’s coral reefs are hoping a recent $715,000 federal grant awarded to the state of Hawaii will amp up both the education and conservation of the underwater ecosystems. Associated Press.

Attorney General Doug Chin joined California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and 18 attorneys general in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to maintain and defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Maui Now.

A human rights complaint has been filed with an international commission to investigate claims of human rights violations in Hawaii’s commercial fishing industry.Associated Press.

We Do Practically Nothing To Control Feral Cats Threatening Rare Seals And Birds. While Hawaii’s animal rights and environmental groups are sharply divided on solutions, there’s little government support even for steps the two sides agree on. Civil Beat.

State officials have granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in discounts to a family of companies affiliated with Navatek Ltd. as part of a deal to settle claims that included alleged “loss of business opportunity” on state-owned waterfront land where the companies operate under a month-to-month permit. Star-Advertiser.

A federal grand jury in Hawaii indicted a U.S. soldier Friday for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group. Associated Press.

Carilyn Shon, an energy efficiency program manager at the Hawaii State Energy Office, has been named the agency’s administrator. Pacific Business News.

 The remnants of Fernanda will continue moving west today, across Oahu and Kauai, as two tropical storms and a hurricane continue heading toward the Central Pacific.  Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Lack of adequate sewer capacity is the key reason most of 344 preliminary applications for accessory dwelling unit permits have been denied by the city since the ADU program began in 2013, a problem that’s spurred Honolulu City Councilman Ernie Martin to urge Mayor Kirk Caldwell to speed up expansion of Oahu’s sewer system. Star-Advertiser.

Some urge sprinkler mandates across US after Honolulu fire. Associated Press.

To pay or not to pay? That is the question owners and boards of older Honolulu high-rise condos have grappled with for decades as they considered retrofitting their buildings with automatic sprinkler systems. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Monday will sign Oahu's latest plastic bag ban into law. KITV.

On Monday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell will sign Oahu’s plastic bag ban expansion into law. KHON2.

The new upscale International Market Place opened nearly a year ago with 30 shops and restaurants in the heart of Waikiki, unrecognizable from the previously cluttered maze of kiosks selling cheap souvenirs and trinkets. Star-Advertiser.

About 300 Royal Kunia residents in Central Oahu have some new neighbors, and that’s not sitting well with the community that long expected manicured golf fairways and putting greens to grace a vacant piece of land bordering its homes. Star-Advertiser.

After five straight years of sliding enrollment at the University of Hawaii’s flagship Manoa campus, university President David Lassner has set an ambitious goal to hold enrollment flat for the upcoming fall and boost it back up to 20,000 students by 2020. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Mayor Kirk Caldwell, the City Council, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and the state Legislature have made a culture of looking the other way when it comes to the financial and managerial lapses that have doubled the cost of Oahu rail to $10 billion and delayed its opening by six years. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Offenses such as bullying and harassment were on the decline last year in Hawaii Island public schools, though the number of more serious misconduct cases — such as fighting and use of illicit drugs — increased slightly. Tribune-Herald.

As plans move forward to clean up homeless camps at Old Kona Airport Park, the results could be a template for how law enforcement and community agencies respond to homeless issues in the future. West Hawaii Today.

Taking the bus: Cost an issue as Hele-On management strives to improve. West Hawaii Today.

Federal housing officials have withdrawn a voucher for Phase 2 of the Mohouli senior housing project, prompting Hawaii County to help cover rent subsidies for future tenants of the 30-unit development in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Saving South Point: Implementation of resources management plan still years away. Tribune-Herald.

Results of a recent survey of Hilo Medical Center employees will be used to help improve the hospital’s work environment. Tribune-Herald.

A skate park won’t be built at a Hilo Bayfront parking lot after all. Tribune-Herald.

Puna’s La Hoolokahi Ka La Hui 2017 was held at Uncle Robert’s ‘Awa Club in Kaimu-Kalapana on Saturday evening; one of several events striving to unite various Hawaiian organizations across the islands. Big Island Video News.

The father of “Peter Boy” Kema is set to be sentenced Monday, bringing some closure in one of Hawaii’s most notorious murder mysteries. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

Maui County Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura and local nonprofit groups will propose to the Liquor Control Commission next month further changes to single-event liquor license procedures that would streamline the application process to prevent burdensome requirements that threaten the groups’ fundraising events. Maui News.

A major portion of the Old Makena-Ulupalakua Road in South Maui would be reopened as a historic trail under an out-of-court settlement between the landowner and various organizations, including Maui Tomorrow. Star-Advertiser.

A settlement in the fight over a south Maui community modifies development plans by allowing for fewer buildings and more open space. Hawaii News Now.

After high-rise blaze, property managers mull fire suppression. Cost to retrofit older Maui complexes with sprinklers considered too expensive by some. Maui News.

Maui coral bleaching in spotlight at free screening. Maui News.

Maui District Health Officer Dr. Lorrin Pang sees firsthand how bad the opioid pain reliever epidemic has become. Maui News.

Kauai

Proposed changes to state boating rules will be up for discussion at a meeting on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria. Garden Island.

The county Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with Kauai Beer Company to spruce up Kalena Park. Garden Island.

Education is important, but doesn’t necessarily determine your ability to advance in the workplace, said Steve Yoder, Kauai County Republican chair. Garden Island.