Ige, Abercrombie differ on preschool funding, Maui GMO foes submit more signatures, church-state lawsuit advances, Kim leads #HI01 race, Kauai talks trash, Hawaii County's traveling mayor, regents interview UH presidential prospects, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

David Ige, Neil Abercrombie © 2014 All Hawaii News

In a stark policy difference with Gov. Neil Abercrombie, state Sen. David Ige said Tuesday he opposes a constitutional amendment that would allow public money to be spent on private preschool. Ige, who had been undecided on the issue, said he has philosophical concerns about taxpayer money going to private preschools. Star-Advertiser.

An activist group that focuses on issues of separation of church and state won a judge's approval Tuesday to continue its lawsuit against two churches accused of underpaying by more than $1 million for use of Hawaii public school facilities. Star-Advertiser.

A lawsuit accusing two churches of underpaying rent for school facilities is moving ahead. But an attorney for the churches says the suit only hurts the schools and its students. Hawaii News Now.

Donna Mercado Kim continues to lead the crowded contest for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, according to a Civil Beat Poll. But Mark Takai remains in the hunt, trailing Kim 30 percent to 24 percent among voters who said they intend to vote Democrat in the primary.

The Primary Election is less than 75 days away and the once “sleepy” contest for Lieutenant Governor has been energized by a veteran Democratic challenger now in the race. Hawaii Public Radio.

The first state Democratic Party chairwoman from Maui and the first Neighbor Island woman to hold the post said Tuesday that "we'll have to wait and see" on the party's legal challenge to Hawaii's open primary system. Maui News.

The two men vying to become the next University of Hawaii president interviewed for the job Tuesday, amid criticism over one of the finalists’ qualifications and the search process. The university’s Board of Regents interviewed the finalists, retired Lt. Gen. Frank Wiercinski and interim President David Lassner, during a meeting that was open to the public. Associated Press.

The two finalists vying to be the next University of Hawaii president tried to distinguish themselves as the better candidate for the job Tuesday in separate public interviews before the Board of Regents. Star-Advertiser.

The search for the University of Hawaii’s next president could end as early as next week. David Lassner and Frank Wiercinski are the remaining candidates competing for the job. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and other supporters of federal recognition for Native Hawaiians are applauding a proposal that came down from the Secretary of the Interior. The advanced notice explores the possibility of a government-to-government relationship between the federal government and the Native Hawaiian community. Hawaii News Now.

The new We Vote Hawaii has a new logo. An online voting process was held to select a design to represent the nonprofit organization formerly known as Kids Voting Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Company’s CEO Richard Rosenblum says he will retire from the company within a year. Associated Press.

Hawaiian Electric Co. President and CEO Richard Rosenblum has notified the company that he plans to retire within a year.  Rosenblum, 64, has headed up the state's dominant utility since 2009. Star-Advertiser.

A Hawaii-based military command responsible for finding, recovering and identifying missing-in-action service members is being investigated for money spent on a gravel road in Papua New Guinea. Associated Press.

State roundup for May 28. Associated Press.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Department reports on officers’ use of force suggest that such incidents have increased in recent years. Among those affected are some of the most disenfranchised citizens in the islands, including Native Hawaiians, the homeless and the mentally ill. But the reports, obtained by Civil Beat under a public records request, are heavily redacted and police officials refuse to explain the increased use of force and what, if anything, is being done about it.

City officials say they're close to reaching an agreement with the union representing roughly 200 emergency services workers on a scheduling plan that they hope will curb staff shortage and overtime problems that forced them to shut down shifts at four ambulance stations during Easter weekend last month. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply, under fire in recent years for rate hikes and errors in customer billing, is fighting back against an effort by the Honolulu City Council to exert greater control over its operations and change the composition of its policy-making board. Civil Beat.

The surfing world's first billionaire has charged into the lineup of landowners with prime oceanfront views of Oahu's North Shore surf mecca. Nicholas Woodman, the surfer who founded camera maker GoPro Inc., has bought two properties in the Sunset Beach area — including one parcel that has set a rec­ord price for residential property on the North Shore. Star-Advertiser.

The city will have to pay a Palolo woman $25,000 after she hit a pothole while riding her bicycle. But that’s actually a small amount compared to what the city pays every year to settle lawsuits. KHON2.

Air Canada said Tuesday that its leisure carrier subsidiary, Air Canada rouge, is expanding to Hawaii with what will be the only nonstop flight between Toronto and Honolulu. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

As he has in recent years, Mayor Billy Kenoi spent on average one day a week someplace other than in the county he governs. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County Civil Defense will test its ability to communicate during disasters as part of this year’s statewide hurricane drill, said Administrator Darryl Oliveira. Tribune-Herald.

Faced with a petition for state management of water taken from the Keauhou aquifer, the Hawaii County Water Board is putting money into measures that would shore up its own monitoring of the resource. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Maui County Clerk's Office has 10 days to verify 9,376 additional signatures submitted Tuesday in support of a citizens' initiative for a moratorium on genetically modified organisms in Maui County. Maui News.

Members of the SHAKA Movement rallied in front of the county building in Wailuku today before delivering a final list of signatures to the County Clerk’s office in support of a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically-engineered organisms or GMOs in Maui County. Maui Now.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa is keeping a neutral stance on the GMO debate as a petition has surfaced seeking a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically-engineered organisms or GMOs in Maui County. Maui Now.

Holding stacks of papers, members of the SHAKA Movement (an anti-genetically modified organism or GMO group) confidently marched into the Maui County Clerk's office Tuesday afternoon. The effort marks the final push to get a proposed GMO ban on the general election ballot in November. Hawaii News Now.

The Maui County Council on Tuesday unanimously passed on first reading a $604 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Maui News.

A proposal to redevelop Makena Beach & Golf Resort cleared a major hurdle Tuesday as the Maui Planning Commission voted to grant owner ATC Makena Holdings LLC a special management area use permit for the proposed project. Maui News.

Kauai

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it has reached a legal settlement with Tahiti Nui Enterprises for its “longstanding failure” to close three large capacity cesspools at its Hanalei restaurant and bar nearly eight years after discovering the violations. Garden Island.

There was a bit of trash talk exchanged between county and state officials during a state Board of Agriculture meeting held Tuesday. the discussion focused on how county officials are seeking to address the island’s disposal needs for the next several decades as space in the county’s landfill in Kekaha gradually shrinks. Garden Island.

RIMPAC heading to Hawaii, Lingle chairs Djou campaign, Maui to lower property taxes, pot minister gets 5 years, hotel tax downsized, Kauai to make ballot initiatives harder, hospital privatization fails, Hawaii County mulls raises, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

RIMPAC 2012 courtesy U.S. Navy

Twenty-three nations, about 40 ships, six submarines, hundreds of aircraft and 25,000 people are participating in this year's Rim of the Pacific war games in and around Hawaii June 26 to Aug. 1, the Navy said. Details until now have been few, but Navy officials released some of the specifics of this summer's iteration of the world's largest international maritime exercise. Star-Advertiser.

The state's four mayors and County Council leaders failed in their full-court press to get the state Legislature to lift the cap on their share of hotel room tax revenues Friday, but they walked away with $10 million more for their troubles. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would have authorized Hawaii’s semipublic hospitals to work with private partners won’t become law this year. Senate Bill 3064, sponsored by Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona, Ka‘u, died late Friday night, when officials failed to release it. West Hawaii Today.

A bill to name the ukulele the official state musical instrument stalled and died last week in conference committee because both houses could not reach an agreement. But there is still hope for passage of another measure that could do the same thing before the session adjourns Thursday. Hawaii Public Radio.

State lawmakers advanced a proposal on Friday to increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by January 2018. Maui Now.

Wooley

Jessica Wooley, chairwoman of the House Agriculture committee whom Abercrombie has appointed director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control, faces opposition from key legislators in the Hawaii state Senate. So does  Brian Tamamoto, appointed to serve on the Hawaii Community Development Authority. Civil Beat.

Hawaii environmental groups have launched a campaign to pressure state Senators to confirm House Agriculture Chair Jessica Wooley as the governor’s Director of ​the Office of ​Environmental Quality Control. Hawaii Reporter.

A $500,000 pesticide subsidy aimed at combating the coffee berry borer has made it through its last round of negotiations and is scheduled today for a final vote in the state Legislature. Tribune-Herald.

A cap on the salary Hawaii pays its schools superintendent would get a boost for the first time in 13 years under a bill — initially presumed dead for this session — lawmakers advanced out of conference committee Monday afternoon. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would have made it easier for residents of high-rise apartment buildings and renters to switch to solar was killed in conference committee on Friday. Senate Bill 2934 was a priority piece of legislation for clean-energy advocates. The measure would have allowed residents without roof space or those living in areas where Hawaiian Electric Co.’s electric grid can’t accommodate any more solar to still take advantage of solar energy. Civil Beat.

Hawaii ranks in the top 10 in the United States for solar energy with both Hawaiian Electric Co. and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative recognized for being leaders on both the solar megawatts rankings and the solar watts-per-customer rankings, according to a new report released Monday. Pacific Business News.

A state board has issued new rules for solar panel installation that will require journeyman electricians to do more of the work, which is expected to raise the cost of installing the systems. Associated Press.

Hawaii legislators will vote on a bill today that will make it a felony to post a photograph of an individual in the nude without their permission. Tribune-Herald.

Lingle © 2014 All Hawaii News

Former two-term Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle is chairing Charles Djou’s campaign for Congress, the Republican candidate announced Monday. Civil Beat.

State Rep. Mark Takai has a status that no other candidate in the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District can match. Takai is a combat veteran. Civil Beat.

There were 760 fewer visitors arriving in Hawaii each day in the first quarter of 2014 compared with a year earlier, and those who came spent a dollar less per day, as the tourism industry continued to lag behind last year's record numbers. Star-Advertiser.

The US Department of Education released a report on high school graduation rates across the country for 2012 on Monday. For the first time ever, the rate hit 80%. Hawaii beat the national average at 82%. Hawaii News Now.

State roundup for April 29. Associated Press.

Oahu

The company contracted to oversee various construction projects at the University of Hawaii is suing the school for more than $4.6 million over complications related to two projects, including $2.8 million for costly delays to the brand-new UH Manoa Campus Center. Civil Beat.

Detractors have called it unaffordable housing, but a planned second tower of the 801 South St. condominium project in Kakaako has attracted an overwhelming number of buyers with moderate incomes. Star-Advertiser.

An undercover sting at a Keeaumoku massage parlor could wind up backfiring on Honolulu Police. Police arrested a 41-year-old woman at the VIP Lounge for prostitution back in February but only after the vice officer said he engaged in sexual activity with the woman. Hawaii News Now.

The state has agreed to settle three alleged abuse cases against Kipapa Elementary School employees for a total of $190,000. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Six county department heads and three deputy directors will get 5 percent raises July 1, but heftier pay hikes for the County Council, mayor and top managers are less certain, following action Monday by the county Salary Commission. West Hawaii Today.

A Big Island man who openly used his ministry to promote marijuana use has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for having 300 pot plants as part of a distribution ring. Associated Press.

The wife of a Hilo man who was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison for having 284 marijuana plants called his sentence — and hers — “disappointing." Sherryanne “Share” Christie, the wife of Roger Christie, received a 27-month prison sentence for her role in what prosecutors described as a drug distribution ring. Tribune-Herald.

Bids to complete the Mamalahoa bypass came in slightly higher than Hawaii County officials had estimated they would. But bids for the second half of the project, building a new intersection at the Napoopoo Road junction with Mamalahoa Highway, came in slightly lower than estimates. West Hawaii Today.

Pohakuloa Training Area could see upgrades, including a runway capable of handling large air transports, under a bill aimed at enhancing the U.S. military’s operations in the Pacific region. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Budget and Finance Committee Chair Mike White today announced a proposed average 9% reduction to real property tax rates for the fiscal year 2015 budget. Maui Now.

As the costs of long-term care for seniors continue to climb, especially in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, officials with Maui agencies that deal with aging suggest senior residents take more preventative measures. Maui News.

Kauai

In the future, amending the Kauai County Charter via a citizen’s petition could be more difficult. On Monday, the County of Kauai Charter Review Commission discussed, and later deferred for one month, a proposal that would quadruple the number of signatures required to petition an amendment to the charter from 5 to 20 percent of registered voters. Garden Island.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative was honored Monday by the Solar Electric Power Association as one of the nation’s Top 10 utilities for its delivery of solar energy. Garden Island.

Waikiki hotels fight tax hike, Democrats shut out Ige, Micronesians seek benefits, X-Men director accused of sex abuse, H-1 construction ahead of schedule, Maui seeks water solution, vendors vie for waste contract, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki beach © 2014 All Hawaii News

Waikiki hotel and resort officials say they oppose the idea that their tax rate will rise next year when rates for most other property owners will not. Star-Advertiser.

State Sen. David Ige said Wednesday that he is disappointed he will not get a speaking role at the state Democratic convention in May while Gov. Neil Abercrombie will be able to address the delegates. Convention planners have decided that only the party's top eight elected officials — including Abercrombie — will get to speak about progress on the party's platform during the two-day event at the Sheraton Waikiki.  Star-Advertiser.

Al Gore might have brought 9,000 people to their feet Tuesday night, but it’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz who took center stage during this week’s sustainability conference at the University of Hawaii. Schatz is locked in a tight primary race with U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, which makes it hard to leave election politics out of any decision he makes even if it is, as he says, for the betterment of Hawaii. Civil Beat.

State Rep. Mark Takai leverages his military experience in the first TV ad to come from the crowded field of Democratic candidates vying for the open 1st Congressional District seat. Civil Beat.

Stanley Chang, running for Congressional District 1, spoke today on the need for millionaires to carry a higher tax burden. Hawaii Independent.

Micronesian community members marched from Kalihi to the federal building in Honolulu on Wednesday to rally for migrant health care and ask Hawaii's congressional delegation to redouble its efforts to reinstate Medicaid payments. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier this month that the state has no obligation to offer paid health care benefits to Micronesian migrants covered under the Compact of Free Association, which allows Palau, Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia citizens to live and work in the United States. Star-Advertiser.

The State’s Affordable Care Act Insurance Portal, the Hawai’i Health Connector, needs more money to stay in business next year. Hawaii Public Radio.

Electricity rates in Hawaii remain by far the highest in the nation. And among the products used to generate electricity in the state, oil remains the undisputed leader. Civil Beat.

A former child model and aspiring actor is accusing “X-Men” franchise director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing him as a teenager in a federal lawsuit filed in Hawaii. Associated Press.

A former child model and aspiring actor is accusing "X-Men" franchise director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing him as a teenager in a federal lawsuit filed in Hawaii. The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the prominent director of the forthcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past" forced Michael Egan III into sex during parties in California and Hawaii when he was 17 in the late 1990s. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of seniors participated in Kupuna Power Day at the State Capitol Wednesday morning. KITV4.

Every few years, lawmakers and their staffers come and go -- but one smiling face at the State Capitol has been a constant for nearly two decades.  60-year old Cheryl Derby has been volunteering in State Representative Mark Takai's office since 1999. Hawaii News Now.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: April 17. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Thursday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Representatives of more than two dozen nonprofits appeared at a Honolulu City Council hearing on Wednesday to cheer on a budget proposal that would restore about $1.2 million in funding to such organizations after the money was cut during last year's budget negotiations. Civil Beat.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to fix Oahu’s roads and sewer lines, but lawmakers are asking to spend taxpayers’ money in other ways, including studying climate change and its effects on Hawaii. For that, Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin is asking for $2 million in the budget. The request passed a second reading late Wednesday afternoon. KHON2.

The state has agreed to settle three lawsuits filed by parents who alleged "cruel and unusual punishment" and abuse of their daughters, special education students, at the hands of Kipapa Elementary School employees. Star-Advertiser.

After months of dealing with heavy construction along the H-1 between the Likelike highway and Ward Avenue, Honolulu motorists received good news Wednesday. The extensive rehabilitation project is two months ahead of schedule and on budget.  Its set to finish in July at a cost of $42 million. Hawaii News Now.

The ambitious redevelopment plans for the former Kam Drive-In site across from Pearlridge Center won final approval Wednesday from the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

Kapio News, the newspaper run by students at Kapiolani Community College, is printing its final issue at the end of this month. The school administration made the decision to shutter the paper because it wants to “move Kapio in a new direction.” Civil Beat.

Hawaii
Eight companies submitted bids to build a waste reduction facility by the Tuesday deadline. The county at first refused to provide the number of bidders, but provided the information Wednesday evening after the newspaper made repeated calls to county officials and the state Office of Information Practices. West Hawaii Today.

The Big Island’s new resident physician training program run by Hilo Medical Center is expecting to hear by the end of the week whether or not the $2.8 million in state funding it needs to run the program will come through or not. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii state Judiciary says a Hilo lawyer has been appointed as a family court judge on the Big Island. Court officials said Wednesday that Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald appointed Henry Nakamoto as judge of Third Circuit Family Court. Associated Press.

Real estate sales are increasing in the Puna district and decreasing in South Hilo for the first quarter of 2014. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

At least two main ideas vied Tuesday night as ways for Maui County to raise the millions of dollars needed over the next 20 years for water system improvements, with the most costly being for waterlines, pumps and reservoirs to supply water to drought-plagued Upcountry residents, farmers and ranchers. Maui News.

Maui County Council members expressed dismay Tuesday morning when Fire Chief Jeff Murray asked for a delay until July 2015 for the long-anticipated transfer of beach lifeguards to the Maui Fire Department. Maui News.

A bill in the state Legislature that could assist with the financing of a long-awaited West Maui hospital is currently in a state House-Senate conference committee awaiting scheduling, Maui legislators said this week. Maui News.

Kauai

It’s back to the drawing board, again. The state Department of Transportation will be looking at several options over the next year aimed at relieving traffic congestion on Kuhio Highway, including one to open the Pouli Road connection to the Kapaa Bypass Road — re-addressing a problem officials have been trying to solve for at least 20 years. Garden Island.

A year behind schedule, the state is set to tackle the issue of drifting beach sand at the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor in Kekaha. The upcoming project, initially slated to begin last summer, involves relocating 80,000 cubic yards of beach sand from the east end of Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor to the west side. Garden Island.

Hawaii Polls: Abercrombie struggling, Aiona gaining, Hanabusa leading, Kim on top, Hanohano investigated, plus more government and political news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Neil Abercrombie campaigning file photo (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

Voters are deeply ambivalent about Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a new Hawaii Poll shows, an opening that breathes unexpected life into his political challengers. Despite the state's economic turnaround and record budget surplus, Abercrombie's job approval rating stands at 43 percent, and just 45 percent of voters interviewed had a favorable opinion of him. Abercrombie holds a single-digit lead over state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary for governor, a surprise given that Ige has raised little money and many voters have never heard of or do not know enough about the state senator. Star-Advertiser.

Ige

Reflecting lingering bad feelings about a protracted standoff in labor negotiations, now settled, the Hawaii State Teachers Association today announced its support for state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary for governor. That’s a blow to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, the incumbent seeking re-election. The governor angered the 13,500-member union by imposing cuts to salaries and health benefits after the administration could not reach agreement with the union. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association has announced that it is endorsing state Sen. David Ige in the race for governor. Ige, a Democrat, is challenging Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the primary election. Hawaii News Now previously reported that former governors Ben Cayetano and George Ariyoshi are also throwing their support behind the Pearl City-Aiea senator. Hawaii News Now.

Aiona

Hundreds of registered voters were asked if the election were held for Governor today, who would you vote for in the Democratic primary? 47% said incumbent Neil Abercrombie while 38% chose State Senator David Ige. 14% were undecided with a 4% margin of error. 45% polled have an unfavorable opinion of Neil Abercrombie. 45% have a favorable view. In this race Duke Aiona has the highest approval rating at 58%. David Ige polled 30% favorable, but 38% have never heard of him. Hawaii News Now.

Hanabusa

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has a gap over U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, a new Hawaii Poll has found, and a quarter of voters interviewed did not know enough about Schatz to form an opinion about the senator. Hanabusa was at 48 percent and Schatz was at 40 percent in the poll of Democratic primary voters. Eleven percent were undecided. Star-Advertiser.

Schatz

In advance of a Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll today that shows Rep. Colleen Hababusa leading Sen. Brian Schatz 48-40 percent in the Democratic primary, Schatz told supporters yesterday that his campaign’s internal poll has him up 41-37 percent. Civil Beat.

Kim

State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim would win the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st Congressional District House of Representatives seat handily if the election were held this month, according to the latest results of the Hawaii Poll. Kim, who's spent more years in elective office than five other candidates in the poll, scored 10 percentage points better than the second top finisher, state Rep. Mark Takai. Star-Advertiser.

Bhagowalia

In hopes of advancing the state's overhaul of its aging information technology infrastructure, the current director of the Office of Information Management Technology will serve as the governor's chief adviser for technology and cybersecurity effective Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hanohano

State House leaders plan to appoint a special committee to investigate Rep. Faye Hanohano after a college student complained she treated him rudely while testifying before a committee she chairs. Associated Press.

Rosen

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday named Dr. Linda Rosen director of the state Department of Health. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Legislature is considering a number of bills to provide tax relief for residents on the verge of becoming homeless.  One sweeping measure is proposing a number of tax breaks for those in need. Hawaii Public Radio.

A bill requiring radiation warnings on cellphones passed two committees in the state Senate. Introduced by Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona, Ka‘u, SB 2571 would require cellphones sold in Hawaii to contain a label covering nearly a third of the back of the device. Tribune-Herald.

Weeks of slow, soaking rains are helping the grass grow again on the western slopes of Maui and Hawaii islands, giving cattle ranchers hope they may at last escape a punishing drought brought on by years of below-normal rainfall. But ranchers warn the soil will dry out if rain doesn’t continue to fall for the rest of Hawaii’s wet season, which lasts through April. Associated Press.

Committee hearings are slowing at the Hawaii state Legislature, so in the coming four-day week, the usual monsoon of public debate will taper to a fine mist. Associated Press.

Oahu

Caldwell

Seventy-two percent of Oahu voters feel Mayor Kirk Caldwell did a good job in his first year in office, according to a recent Hawaii Poll. While that may seem high for a politician, that's been the case for the past three mayors, said Rebecca Ward, president of Ward Research Inc., which did the poll for the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.

Dozens gathered in the drizzling rain at Malaekahana State Park to stage a peaceful protest against what is commonly called Bill 47 (2013) in the Honolulu City Council. It would involve changes in zoning and planning for the North Shore community. KHON2.

Honolulu police are testing a high-speed camera that captures thousands of license plates — and searches a database for information about vehicles and who might be behind the wheel. Star-Advertiser.

Media Council Hawaii and attorneys with the Institute for Public Representation have filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to halt the transfer of the broadcast license of KFVE from HITV to American Spirit Media.  MCH previously challenged, unsuccessfully, agreements between Raycom Media and HITV that gave Raycom ownership and control of KHNL, KGMB and KFVE in the Honolulu market. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Landers

The Pahoa woman believed to be the Big Island’s oldest resident has died. Saramae Williams Landers, who died Monday at home, witnessed breathtaking technological advances and historic social changes in her 107 years. Tribune-Herald.

With Hawaii County expecting a $20 million payment next month, the County Council’s Finance Committee will consider a bill Tuesday to accept the money, which will be used to build the second half of the Mamalahoa bypass. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County experienced positive economic growth last year. The unemployment rate decreased 2.2 percent during the third quarter of 2013, from 8.4 percent to 6.2 percent, according to a Hawaii Department of Business and Economic Development report. Tribune-Herald.

A mainland-based medical nonprofit, working with Hawaii-based senior living developers, wants to build a combination assisted living and skilled nursing facility in Kailua-Kona. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A subsidiary of Colorado-based land investment, development and conservation firm Bio-Logical Capital has purchased about 3,600 acres of Hana Ranch’s land in East Maui for $4.75 million, Pacific Business News confirmed.

The county Department of Parks and Recreation will host a series of community meetings to discuss proposed permitting and scheduling improvements for the use of county facilities, an announcement said Friday. Maui News.

Kauai

About a dozen rain-soaked people took to the street late Friday afternoon in downtown Kapaa to protest proposed legislation that would discourage home births using a midwife. Garden Island.

A fourth biotech seed company has joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking the County of Kauai’s implementation of Ordinance 960 related to pesticides and genetically modified crops. BASF is now on board with the complaint, filed Jan. 10 in U.S. District Court in Honolulu by Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer and Agrigenetics, a company affiliated with Dow AgroSciences. Civil Beat.

The Department of Public Works will hold a public information meeting to discuss the draft environmental assessment for the Waipouli connection of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the multi-use path. The meeting will be begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Kapaa Middle School cafeteria. Garden Island.

Molokai

Two years after Molokai's Kanemitsu Bakery was originally fined $90,000 and subsequently ordered to suspend operations due to "numerous health code violations," the iconic bakery has reached a settlement with the state Department of Health to pay $20,000 in fines. Maui News.

Rare table coral sighting in Hawaii, employment to grow 4%, Hanabusa aide quits after FEC complaint, Takai, Anderson run for Congress, state hospitals seek millions, Kona courthouse site rejected, Maui tourism wants gay marriage, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Table coral in Hawaii NOAA photo

A coral species that all but disappeared from waters off the main Hawaiian islands thousands of years ago could be making a comeback to the area, a recent surprise discovery off the southern shore of Oahu indicates. A group of coral ecology scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stumbled upon what one of them called a "sizable" table coral colony during a routine training dive last November, roughly a mile from the Ewa Plain. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s employment rolls will grow by more than 26,000 between the third quarter of last year and the third quarter of next year, the state predicted on Wednesday. The construction industry, which suffered the most during the Great Recession, is driving the approximately 4 percent total growth, according to the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Pacific Business News.

Jobs in construction, retail sales and tourism will be among the fastest growing areas of employment through next year as Hawaii's economy hits its stride, according to a forecast released Wednesday by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The overall labor market is expected to add 26,690 jobs between the third quarter of 2012 and the third quarter of 2014, a gain of 4 percent, the DLIR reported. Star-Advertiser.

Sen. Brian Schatz is expected to announce at a press conference Thursday that he’s backing a bill that would strengthen Social Security by boosting taxes on rich people. The legislation faces an uphill battle and seems like a long shot to pass in the Republican House. Civil Beat.

Christopher Raymond, the deputy chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa who sparked an FEC complaint by offering to act as a go-between between Hanabusa's U.S. Senate campaign and the drug industry, has resigned. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii state Rep. Mark Takai says he plans to join a growing field of Democrats hoping to replace Colleen Hanabusa in the U.S. House. Star-Advertiser.

After almost two decades in the state House of Representatives, Rep. Mark Takai on Wednesday announced he would forgo re-election to his seat in the Legislature for a chance to represent Hawaii in Congress. Star-Advertiser.

Takai Bid Puts Hawaii's Military Role at Campaign Center. Civil Beat.

Two more Democrats are joining the race for Congress. State Rep. Mark Takai and Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson said Wednesday they are running for the seat in the First Congressional District representing urban Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Squeezed by rising labor costs and declining reimbursements for patient services, Hawaii's public hospital system is seeking a $14 million emergency appropriation from the state. Maui News.

While Gov. Neil Abercrombie backs a proposed $14 million emergency appropriation to cover a projected shortfall for Hawaii Health Systems Corp., the governor maintains that such a cash infusion is a "Band-Aid approach" and wants a long-term strategy for the fiscal health of Hawaii's public hospital system, the governor's press secretary, Louise Kim McCoy, said Wednesday. Maui News.

Public school is back in session this week, with more than 13,000 teachers trusted to do their best with our kids. But what happens when they don’t, and find themselves accused of misconduct? A KHON2 investigation found out just how long these cases can drag on.

State prisons officials said they tried to crack down on sick leave abuse by corrections officers but were thwarted by a federal medical leave law for which 40 percent of guards statewide qualify. Hawaii News Now.

The most recent commander of U.S. submarines in Asia and the Middle East took command on Wednesday of the entire Pacific Fleet submarine force. Rear Adm. Phillip Sawyer succeeded Rear Adm. James Frank Caldwell Jr. during a ceremony on a platform atop the hull of the USS Jacksonville submarine. Associated Press.

Oahu

The nine members of the Honolulu City Council criticized Mayor Kirk Caldwell and his administration on Wednesday for asking the Council to approve two last-minute measures that would spend $48.1 million on housing projects. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Community Development Authority approved another permit application today, marking the 8th high-rise in Kaka’ako to be granted a green light by the state agency in less than one year. Hawaii Public Radio.

Two pieces of a master plan for redeveloping nine blocks in Kakaako owned by Kamehameha Schools got the go-ahead Wednesday, including a high-rise condominium that has upset residents of two neighboring towers. Star-Advertiser.

There's more fallout from the sex assault scandal at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind. A lawsuit filed by a Honolulu woman says that students were allowed to sexually abuse her daughter repeatedly not just at the Kapahulu school, but also at McKinley High School. Hawaii News Now.

Deedy Trial — Should A Federal Agent Have Left Before Violence Erupted? Civil Beat.

A state judge ruled late Wednesday that Kollin Elderts' 2008 disorderly conduct conviction can be introduced in the murder trial of Christopher Deedy, the State Department special agent who shot him. Star-Advertiser.

Get ready to say goodbye to the Ala Wai pipe. The temporary sewer pipe has been raised and cut, to prepare for its removal. KITV4.

Hawaii

The Judiciary’s preferred site for the new Kona Judiciary complex is off the table, an administrator told House Finance Committee members Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

As the beginning to a new academic year approaches, administrators at the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy are once again ramping up efforts to garner legislative support for a permanent building to house the program. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County on Wednesday moved one lot closer to completing the long-sought Mamalahoa bypass, but the administration won’t make its mid-2013 target date to begin construction of this phase of the highway. West Hawaii Today.

A proposal to list nearly 19,000 acres between Palani Road and Waikoloa as critical habitat for three plant species could hardly have come at a worse time, said some residents who attended a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service meeting Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

KTA is giving Puna another shot. Jon McElvaney, a consultant working on a proposed commercial development for Pahoa, confirmed that he has been in talks with the Big Isle supermarket chain, which he referred to as being “first in line” to fill the 40,000-square-foot area reserved for a large grocery. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

In light of a recently updated University of Hawaii report that suggests legalizing same-sex marriages may boost Hawaii's tourism industry by an estimated $217 million over a three-year period, Maui tourism officials and industry professionals say that legalizing same-sex marriages would bring benefits to more than 150 businesses on the Valley Isle as well. Maui News.

Kayak and snorkeling company Maui Ocean Activities has been ordered to cease unauthorized beach activities by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Maui Now.

Kauai

The state Intermediate Court of Appeals on Wednesday vacated a judgment that let 17 insurance companies out of a Ka Loko Dam disaster civil suit and remanded the case to the 5th Circuit. Garden Island.

You know those rescue tube stations, more than 200 of them, you see around the beaches of Kauai? The ones credited with saving more than 50 lives in the last five years? They were illegal. Not anymore. Garden Island.

Molokai
When today’s kupuna were growing up, they remember being told that the Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove was a sacred place. It was kapu, or forbidden, and their kupuna told them not to play in the grove or freshwater springs that open up in the ground beneath the towering trees. But today, those kupuna are concerned because they often see trucks driven into the grove, children swimming in the pools, tourists oblivious to the dangers of falling coconuts and rubbish littering the springs and grove. Molokai Dispatch.