New tropical storm on Hawaii horizon, attorney general charges Kauai lawmaker for campaign spending violations, county bus system settles ADA lawsuit, Maui council wants to forgive $4M loan, error caused Honolulu sewer spill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Tropical Storm Ignacio 5 a.m. Wednesday Aug. 26, courtesy National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Ignacio has intensified slightly as it continues on a westward track in the Eastern North Pacific. At 5 a.m. Wednesday, Ignacio was located approximately 1,425 miles east-southeast of Hilo. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour with higher gusts. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center. Hawaii News Now.

Tropical Storm Ignacio continued to strengthen and remains on track to become a hurricane and pass close to the Big Island on Monday. At 5 a.m. Wednesday, the storm was about 1,425 miles east-southeast of Hilo, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, moving west at 9 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend 60 miles from the center. Star-Advertiser.

Section 8 Waiting Game: Even With Vouchers in Hand, There May Be No Place to Rent. Participants in the federally funded rental subsidy program may wait years to finally become eligible for subsidies, but then still struggle to find housing in Hawaii’s rental market. Civil Beat.

State Rep. James Tokioka has entered into a plea agreement to settle a charge by the state attorney general’s office that he “recklessly” filed inaccurate reports detailing donations to his re-election campaign last year. Star-Advertiser.

The state Attorney General’s office is charging Rep. James “Jimmy” Tokioka for violating campaign finance reporting requirements during the 2014 election. Garden Island.

The state Attorney General has filed charges against a state lawmaker for a campaign reporting violation. Kauai Representative James Tokioka is scheduled to appear in court next Monday. KHON2.

A proposed merger between the parent company of cable provider Oceanic Time Warner and Charter Communications Inc. is currently before the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

A breakdown in communication led to a spill that dumped more than 500,000 gallons of sewage into the ocean at Ala Moana Beach Park on Monday morning, a city official said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu beaches from the Kapahulu Groin to Point Panic remained off-limits Tuesday and will stay closed pending the results from water testing, city officials said. Civil Beat.

Portions of Hawaii's famed Waikiki Beach remained closed Tuesday as the City and County of Honolulu made plans to reopen Ala Moana Beach Park on Wednesday, two days after untreated wastewater overflowed from manholes near Ala Moana Center and into storm drains that led to the ocean. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu city officials are clarifying the reasons that Waikiki Beach remains closed today.  Heavy rains from tropical depression Kilo soaked the state and led to a wastewater and sewage spill. Hawaii Public Radio.

Many beachgoers showed up at beaches in the Ala Moana and Waikiki area Tuesday, unaware that the beach areas were closed because of possible contamination from more than 500,000 gallons of sewage that flowed into the ocean from storm drains near Atkinson Drive. Shoreline waters were closed from Point Panic in Kakaako to the Kapahulu Groin at the other end of Waikiki. On Tuesday officials clarified that Ala Moana was closed because of the sewage spill, while Waikiki beaches were closed because of a brown water advisory from storm runoff. Star-Advertiser.

It's not only an eyesore – it's illegal. Overgrown trees and bushes are threatening public access to beaches in East Oahu. KITV4.

A second Kakaako condominium tower developer is seeking relief from a state rule governing the opaqueness of window glass. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County has embarked upon a two-year plan to improve services for those disabled individuals who can’t ride the Hele-On public bus system. The paratransit plan, which will cost about $800,000 the first year, is part of a 20-page settlement agreement signed Aug. 13 by U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi in Honolulu after the county was sued for not complying with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. West Hawaii Today.

West Hawaii got its first glimpse Tuesday of what the commute along Queen Kaahumanu Highway — or a trip to the airport — will be like for a couple of years. West Hawaii Today.

The Hamakua community gathered at the Honoka’a Gym on Tuesday evening (Aug. 25) to discuss possible solutions to the issues that surround the Waipi’o Valley Access Road. The County of Hawaii is offering to assist the Waipi’o Valley residents and stakeholders in a road improvement project, if the community supports the idea. Big Island Video News.

Maui

A Maui County Council committee is proposing to forgive repayment of more than $4 million that the county loaned in 1998 to Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center for construction of its Hale Makana O Waiale rental housing facility in Wailuku. Maui News.

Maui police said the Kahului airport’s Emergency Operation Center received a call threatening harm to an outbound flight Tuesday morning. Star-Advertiser.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific Health are competing to become the first private managers of state hospitals. Pacific Business News.

Small-business owners interested in learning the basics of government contracting are invited to attend a free workshop Sept. 17 at the Maui Beach Hotel. Maui News.

Kauai

A 2,000 gallon sewage spill is keeping The St. Regis Princeville Resort guests out of the water fronting the high-end hotel while state health officials wait on water sample test results. Garden Island.

Molokai

A $1.2 million project to replace a 19,500-gallon steel water tank in Ho`olehua with a sturdier concrete tank is nearing completion. It’s a replacement that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) hopes will provide a better long-term solution for water pressure problems in the area. Molokai Dispatch.