Supreme Court mulls Honolulu election results, Kauai reaches 50% renewable power, Hawaii lawmaker joins drilling fight as tarballs surface on Big Island beach, whale count scheduled despite federal shutdown, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Humpback whale breach  in Hawaii PC: Kohala Sail & Sea Michael Faughn

An annual effort to monitor humpback whale migration numbers in Hawaii will proceed as scheduled despite the shutdown of the federal government, a spokesperson for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation said Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's annual Ocean Count will take place January 26 despite the federal government shutdown. KHON2.

Mike Gabbard joins other lawmakers from coastal states to oppose offshore drilling. Associated Press.

New State Lawmakers and Their Priorities. There are 12 new state lawmakers for the upcoming session – 9 in the House and 3 in the Senate. Hawaii Public Radio.

Gov. David Ige has chosen Jay Griffin to chair the Public Utilities Commission. Griffin has served on the three-member commission since May 2017. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Ige reappoints leaders for DOD, announces new appointees for 3 state departments. Two leaders at the helm of Hawaii’s Department of Defense are likely to continue their work after Gov. David Ige announced their reappointments to their positions Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Shutdown leaves Hawaii immigrant cases in limbo. The impasse in Washington has raised fears in Hawaii funding will end for federal benefits used by low income residents, for food, housing and much needed assistance. KITV.

Tensions rise between 2 of Hawaii’s Congressional leaders over ‘religious bigotry’ comments. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard appears to have “called out” Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono over her questioning of a judicial nominee, accusing her and others of religious bigotry. Hawaii News Now.

The Navy test-fired a series of new hypervelocity projectiles this past summer from the destroyer USS Dewey during Rim of the Pacific exercises off Hawaii that the Congressional Research Service said could be a “game changer” for defending warships against an increasingly sophisticated array of Chinese missiles. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The Hawaii Supreme Court pressed election officials Tuesday for information on late-arriving absentee ballots in a dispute over Trevor Ozawa’s 22-vote victory in November for a seat on the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council candidate Tommy Waters says he is pleased that the Hawaii Supreme Court is asking more questions about how ballots were counted in his close race against incumbent Trevor Ozawa. Hawaii News Now.

A place for Iwilei homeless to shower, do laundry, pick up mail and receive other services opened Tuesday on Kuwili Street. Star-Advertiser.

After years of waiting, a hygiene center (and safe haven) opens in Iwilei. The rest stop is the first phase of a multi-million dollar project designed to help Iwilei’s homeless population. Hawaii News Now.

The homeless in Iwilei now have a place to shower, wash their clothes, and check their email. KITV.

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‘Go home’: Councilman has choice words for a Chinese developer that threatened to boycott Hawaii. It comes as the developer appears to have broken a key promise. A Chinese developer’s promise to hire hundreds of local, unionized construction workers at his Sheridan Street condo project appears to be in jeopardy. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiian Airlines revises international check-in site for some passengers. Star-Advertiser.

Kealohas’ foreclosed Hawaii Kai home goes on market for $1.3M. The Hawaii Kai home of retired Honolulu police chief Louis Kealoha and his former city prosecutor wife, Katherine, is for sale while their lender forecloses on the property and the couple faces corruption-related charges. Associated Press.

Jim Nabors’ oceanfront Honolulu estate sells for $12M. Los Angeles Times.

Hawaii Island

Tarballs found in sands at Spencer Beach Park in South Kohala. West Hawaii Today.

Squatters, homeless, vacation rentals, taxes and an emergency relief package in the wake of last year’s volcanic eruption top the priority list Mayor Harry Kim is presenting to the state Legislature this year. West Hawaii Today.

Joining The Parade Of Counties That Are Raising Taxes. Hawaii County tacks a 0.25 percent surcharge onto the general excise tax and considers going higher. Civil Beat.

Courts and corrections officials modified their operations after an accused murderer was mistakenly released from the Hilo jail last summer, and the Hawaii island courts now send bail documents to the jail via email as well as having them hand-carried to the facility, state lawmakers were told Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

County officials shot down a bill that would require the county to establish a plan to control feral animals and waste at county facilities. Tribune-Herald.

Suit against Big Island Dairy settled. The suit was filed in 2017 in U.S. District Court in Honolulu by citizen group Kupale Ookala and the Center for Food Safety and was scheduled to go to trial this month. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Dairy Settlement Sets Dates For Closure, Cleanup. Big Island Video News.

Maui

The deadline for applications for Maui County boards, councils, commissions and committees has been extended to Jan. 15. Maui News.

1.2 acres in Kapalua set to be preserved as open space. A conservation easement for a 1.2-acre property in Kapalua that includes a trail in the area has been donated to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust by the Sue D. Cooley Trust. Maui News.

Maui housing prices rose last year to a record for single-­family homes but still lagged a more than decade-­old high for condominiums despite a double-digit rise. Star-Advertiser.

Developer's plan for second Maui hotel triggers need for EIS. R.D. Olson Development’s plan to build a second limited-service hotel on Maui outlined in an environmental assessment last summer has triggered a requirement to prepare a more detailed environmental impact statement. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

Kauai Fire Department Chief Robert Westerman is retiring before the end of the week, but the fire commission has not decided who his successor will be. Garden Island.

The Kauai Fire Commission is searching for a new fire chief, following the retirement of Chief Robert Westerman after 20 years of service. KHON2.

Kauai reaches goal of 50% renewable power. AES Corp. has completed a solar power plant on Kauai that can do something most renewable projects can’t: deliver power when it’s most needed. Star-Advertiser.

A 150-acre solar farm on the south side of the island was unveiled Tuesday. Garden Island.

New solar-plus-storage facility gets KIUC past 50% renewable generation. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has reached the next milestone in its pursuit of 100 percent renewable energy generation with the completion of the largest solar-plus-storage facility in the state. Pacific Business News.

Kauai home sales increase in 2018, prices rise 6%. Single-family home sales rose 8.17 percent in 2018 to 596 houses sold, from 551 houses sold in 2017. The median price of those homes was $699,500, which was a 5.98 percent increase from $660,000 in 2017. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii gay marriage: economic boost, Dem panel wants to reprimand legislators for proposing traditional marriage, Schatz shakes off early campaign statement; security guard license backlog; pricy vacations; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu gay marriage rally (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

A new economic analysis from the University of Hawaii says legalizing gay marriage in the state would boost tourism by $217 million over the next three years. The study from the university’s Economic Research Organization says that would boost state and local general excise tax revenues by $10.2 million from 2014 through 2016. Associated Press.

A new University of Hawaii study estimates an additional $217 million in visitor spending over the next three years if Hawai'i legalizes same-sex marriage. Hawaii News Now.

Message to Hawaii lawmakers: Legalize same-sex marriage or risk losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars warns University of Hawaii economics professor Sumner La Croix in a report released Thursday. Civil Beat.

An investigative panel of the Democratic Party of Hawaii has recommended that state Sen. Mike Gabbard be reprimanded and Rep. Sharon Har be censured for introducing a constitutional amendment last session on traditional marriage. The panel determined that Gabbard and Har were acting contrary to the party's platform on equal rights by introducing the bills, which would ask voters whether marriage should be reserved for heterosexual couples. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has consistently supported gay marriage. But as a 26-year-old, first-time candidate for the state House, the Demo­crat clarified for voters in Makiki, Tantalus and Manoa that he supported traditional marriage and traditional family values. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is concerned about the increasing costs of a Hawaii vacation. HTA President and CEO Mike McCartney told the board at its Thursday meeting that the costs of a Hawaii vacation have outpaced personal income growth in the United States for the last two years. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii tourism officials say visitors spent $1.3 billion in the Aloha State in June as the state saw more tourists overall and more spending from domestic travelers. The Hawaii Tourism Authority said Thursday that the state welcomed nearly 717,000 visitors in June, up 5.5 percent compared with the same month one year ago. Spending was up 7 percent compared with June 2012. Associated Press.

Limited staffing and a last-minute rush by security guards to comply with a new law governing the industry has resulted in a backlog of more than 2,300 applications for identification cards awaiting processing by the state Board of Private Detectives and Guards. Star-Advertiser.

Hurricane forecasters continue to watch Tropical Storm Flossie as it moves toward the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii News Now.

Native Hawaiian cultural practices for the first time will be considered when drawing up statewide management plans for protecting and conserving Hawaii's ocean and coastal resources. Star-Advertiser.

A plan to ensure the sustainable use of Hawaii’s ocean and coastal resources was signed by the governor today on Oahu. The Ocean Resources Management Plan identifies 11 management priorities for the next five years with the goal of conservation for current and future generations. Big Island Video News.

The state of Hawaii on Wednesday launched a center to train people to defend computer systems from attack. The so-called “cyber range” is a collection of servers and routers in a room on the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus. The equipment will allow people to practice hacking computer systems as a way to learn about network vulnerabilities. Associated Press.

Federal regulators are cracking down on practices that led to the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis that crippled the national economy. One of their first targets is Castle & Cooke, a huge real estate developer that also operates as a mortgage lender in 22 states, including Hawaii.  Civil Beat.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced more than $1.5 million in grants to conservation projects in Hawai‘i to protect some of the nation’s rarest species. Maui Now.

State roundup for July 26. Associated Press.

Oahu
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Thursday introduced the new head of Honolulu's Transit Oriented Development Program — the city's long-term push to create high-density, walk­able communities around its planned rail stops and to curb urban sprawl. Star-Advertiser.

Motorists using the H-1 freeway in town after work and overnight can expect a year's worth of increased traffic delays starting this fall as state transportation officials tackle what they say are much-needed repairs on the Oahu's busiest highway. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Education is investigating a teacher's allegations against a former Pearl City High School principal, including claims that she practiced favoritism and egregiously misused funds during her six-year tenure at the school. Civil Beat.

A man caught 24 rats in traps on one day around his Waialua home. Because of budget cuts, the city has one inspector for Oahu. KHON2.

A close friend of the 23-year-old Kailua man killed at a McDonald's restaurant in Waikiki testified Thursday that he did not hear or see U.S. State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy identify himself as a law enforcement officer or show a badge before he fired the fatal shot. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County’s top union negotiator is retiring, leaving the county looking within its ranks for a successor. Ron Takahashi, who was appointed to the $99,000 annual Cabinet-level position of director of the Department of Human Resources in late 2009 after four years as deputy, is retiring effective Aug. 30, taking with him more than 32 years of county administrative experience. Stephens Media.

The state Department of Transportation has closed the Umauma Bridge to oversized loads as a contractor prepares to embark on a $37.2 million project to rehabilitate the 102-year-old span. Stephens Media.

A Paradise Helicopters tour with five people aboard made a crash landing Thursday in a field not much more than 700 feet from a runway at Hilo International Airport. Preliminary reports were that no one was injured in the crash, said Caroline Sluyter, spokeswoman for the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Stephens Media.

Maui

Judge turns a critical eye toward man’s medical pot card. Maui News.

More than 14,000 new gravesites and niches could eventually be constructed in an overall expansion plan for the state's Makawao Veterans Cemetery, which officials say is nearing capacity as its current site was "roughly" 85 percent full last year. Maui News.

The final results of a University of Hawaii study on the impacts of injection wells at the Lahaina wastewater treatment plant "conclusively demonstrate" a connection between the wells and their flows to nearshore waters. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council announced the public hearing for Bill 2491 will be held at Kauai Veterans Center, rather than the previously announced location at Kauai Community College. The controversial bill proposes disclosure of pesticide use and sets up buffer zones for crops of genetically modified organisms. Garden Island.

A Kauai fisherman who was pulled under water by a huge tuna that capsized his boat received little sympathy from PETA. Garden Island.

The county Department of Parks and Recreation unveiled Wednesday a draft of the plan that will guide the development of county recreational facilities in years to come. Garden Island.