Evidence made public in Kealoha case, former Kauai police chief files $2M harassment claim, Case seeks re-election, Kamehameha Schools $80M sex abuse settlement, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Ohia lehua captures the rain ©2019 All  Hawaii News

To Save Ohia, A Genetic Resistance Program Will Be Grown. In an effort to save Hawaii’s native forests from the devastation of Rapid Ohia Death, scientists are touting the use of natural, genetic resistance as the most promising tool. Big Island Video News.

Kamehameha Schools and St. Francis lock horns over sex abuse settlement. Two of Hawaii’s charitable heavy-hitters are engaged in a fierce legal battle over the $80 million settlement of a sex abuse case that has roiled both organizations. Star-Advertiser.

Rhodes scholar comes forward as a plaintiff in the Kamehameha sex abuse lawsuit. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmaker wants to take away licenses from drivers with 2+ violations in a moving vehicle. State Senator Glenn Wakai plans to turn his idea into a bill the next legislative session. KITV.

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Hawaii Congressman Ed Case on Sunday announced his intention to run for reelection. Star-Advertiser.

Rep. Case Announces Candidacy For 2020 Re-Election. The Hawaii congressman says “this is as good a time as any.” Civil Beat.

Ed Case announces his candidacy for re-election in 2020. He's currently in a two-year term that runs through 2020. KITV.

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Late lawmaker with a troubled past remembered for his kindness and compassion. Flags in Hawaii flew at half-staff Saturday in honor of former lawmaker Rod Tam, who was remembered as a troubled figure with a big heart. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

The Kealoha trial took a break last week. That gave the court a chance to release some of the exhibits prosecutors have presented to the jury. Civil Beat.

Contributions grow as vacation rental bills advance. A Honolulu Star-Advertiser review of campaign finance records over the last 2-1/2 years shows that Council members have received contributions both from major donors who support and would benefit from the bills, and from heavy hitters who oppose and would be negatively affected. Star-Advertiser.

Sale of seedy Kuhio corner could finish transformation. A derelict plot of land along Kuhio Avenue has been put on the market, likely bringing an upgrade to a critical portion of Waikiki’s expanding tourism center. Star-Advertiser.

Ocean-friendly Kakaako garden project blossoms. Amid the parched fields and tent-covered sidewalks of Kakaako during a mid-June heat wave, the two dark-green plots and freshly turned topsoil of a new community garden on Ilalo Street made a refreshing and hopeful sight. Star-Advertiser.

Civil Beat journalists took home more than 20 awards for their work in 2018 at the Society of Professional Journalists annual awards dinner Friday, including being named the state’s best overall news site for the ninth year in a row. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Planning Commission to take up CDP amendments Thursday. The Leeward Planning Commission this week is expected to take up for consideration a batch of amendments proposed for the Kona Community Development Plan. West Hawaii Today.

Grassroots community effort seeks to tackle homelessness before it gets worse. West Hawaii Today.

Meet Argos: Friends of the Missing Child Center donates tracking dog to West Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

Vexed by vaping: Schools see increase in use, find it harder to police. The use of electronic smoking devices, or “vaping,” remains a problem in East Hawaii high schools, and it’s becoming more difficult to detect, local administrators say. Tribune-Herald.

Coping With The ‘Big Litter’ Of Abandoned Vehicles. Like everywhere else in the state, Hawaii County is looking for solutions to the increasingly costly problem of people leaving their junkers on the side of the road. Civil Beat.

Mauna Lani gets $200M overhaul, brings luxury Auberge brand to isle. The Mauna Lani will reopen by January as the state’s first hotel in the luxury Auberge Resorts Collection after doubling its renovation budget to $200 million. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Calls made to end recreation activities at Ko'ie'ie Fishpond in Kihei. Residents want pond restored to historic site. Maui News.

21 Graduate as Correctional Officers, One Assigned to Maui Jail. Twenty-one recruits graduated from Basic Corrections Recruit Class 19-01 training and will begin their careers as correctional officers in facilities across the state. Maui Now.

Shortage of horses almost stops Kamehameha Day parade. This weekend’s Kamehameha Day parade on Maui almost didn’t happen this year due to a shortage of horses. Hawaii News Now.

Maui News staff, columnist earn 19 SPJ awards. Newspaper sweeps three catagories — Spot News, Feature Writing/Long Form, Photography/Video. Maui News.

Kauai

Retired police chief Darryl Perry claims harassment. Retired Kauai Police Department Chief Darryl Perry is asking the County of Kauai to pay him $2 million in damages due to what he described in a claim filed against the county last month as 'a nine-year vendetta of continuous harassment'. Garden Island.

Haena State Park and the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park will reopen on Monday, June 17. KHON2.

Brand new signs stolen from Kilauea site. A gravel road runs from Kahili Makai Road to the edge of the Kilauea River, and signs should be welcoming people to the area. Garden Island.

Along with long-awaited Kauai highway reopening comes new rules — and an ‘aloha pledge’. The state will reopen a two-mile section of Kauai’s Kuhio Highway on Monday that’s been closed since historic flooding in April 2018. Hawaii News Now.

Kuhio Highway reopens Monday for the first time since 2018. KHON2.

Ten years, ten awards.

All Hawaii News' 10th SPJ award

All Hawaii News will be 10 years old this year. That's 2,517 posts featuring a digest of all the state and local government and political news from media sources all around the Hawaiian Islands.

There's no bot to do this. Every post is hand-curated in a process that takes two hours or more each day.

This is a one-woman show. I usually start before 5 a.m. so folks can read the news highlights with their morning coffee or on their smartphones during their daily commute. (Not while they're driving, of course.)

It's a labor of love, and I'm honored to be recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for keeping the state informed about the top news of the day.

But a little monetary recognition never hurts, either.

I've moved All Hawaii News' "keep the news coming" donate button near the top right of the homepage. Just click and donate using PayPal or a major credit card. You can even click a button to send an automatic monthly payment.

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A donation no matter how modest would be a vote of confidence in my efforts.

Mahalo!

Nancy Cook Lauer

All Hawaii News wins awards! Here's how you can help keep the news coming

SPJ awards for 2017

Don't take my word for it -- hear what the judges said:

"This site truly is a must-read and a service to the people of Hawaii."

"A worthwhile daily read."

I'm honored and humbled to again be awarded a first-place and a finalist plaque in the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii chapter annual Excellence in Journalism contest.

All Hawaii News, which will celebrate its 9th anniversary later this year, has become for me a labor of love. Journalism, to me, isn't a job. It's a calling.

This blog is how I read the day's news each morning. It's a way for me to share my passion for government and political news with the world.

All Hawaii News is a boutique blog. It appeals to a small but steadily growing group of decision-makers and media types. It attracts readers from across the state, the Mainland United States, China, the South Pacific and Russia.

Most days, All Hawaii News is a hand-curated compilation of the day's top political and government news from all the Hawaiian Islands. It's a quick one-stop site for an overview of what's happening around Hawaii. Other days, you'll find news stories, videos or audios exploring crucial government issues. And sometimes, there will be a commentary or analysis about a topic of pressing interest.

This blog will never get as many Google hits as someone's grumpy cat. It will never embrace the "If it bleeds, it leads" mentality.

But if one person is better informed about government and politics across our tiny island chain in the middle of the Pacific, my mission has been accomplished.

Don't let that stop you from dropping a buck or two in the collection boxes to the right, however.

Reader contributions help pay for the basic essentials of maintaining an online presence. A little extra shows appreciation and gives me incentive to carry on. Face it, it's a lot of work.

Mahalo for your kokua!