Showing posts with label Waste Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waste Management. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Hawaii trying to reduce food packaging, small public schools could close under DOE plan, Oahu gambling crackdown, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2019 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Polystyrene take-out in Hawaii ©2019 All Hawaii News
Bans, Trade-Ins and Take-Homes: Ideas For Reducing Food Packaging in Hawaii. The movement to reduce single-use plastics in Hawaii is moving beyond straws, but current health codes restrict personal containers from being used at take-out restaurants. Civil Beat.

Trump policy could have far-reaching effects on Hawaii’s immigrant population. Immigrants living in Hawaii legally could be denied future visas and permanent residency if they rely on government assistance such as food stamps and Medicaid under a Trump administration rule that is set to take effect Oct. 15. Star-Advertiser.

Small public schools risk closure if minimum headcount is adopted. Drawing a line at a headcount that schools must stay above to stay open is a concept that’s been developing all this year within a D.O.E. committee. KHON2.

Are wind farms in Hawaii hurting or helping the native BAT population? The state and federal government recently approved a request from a wind farm on Maui to increase the number of endangered Hawaiian Hoary Bats its allowed to accidentally kill. KITV.

Oahu

Feds, Honolulu police announce major crackdown on illegal gambling on Oahu. U.S. Attorney Kenji Price announced this morning the filing of criminal charges against 15 people, the seizures of 60 illegal gambling machines, homes in Waipahu and Pearl City and cash from bank accounts he said are connected to illegal gambling. Star-Advertiser.

Federal And Local Law Enforcement Crack Down On Suspected Oahu Gambling Homes. Federal officials announced charges against 15 defendants who authorities say were involved in illegal gambling operations on the island, some run in residential homes on Oahu. Hawaii Public Radio.

Law enforcement has a message for game room operators: ‘We’re coming for you’. Multiple law enforcement agencies announced a statewide crackdown on illegal game rooms Tuesday, and said at least 15 people have already been charged. Hawaii News Now.

Feds Step Up Enforcement Of Illegal Gambling In Hawaii. Officials say asset forfeiture will be a key strategy in stopping and deterring the spread of illicit gambling houses. Civil Beat.

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Honolulu Will Pay For ‘Confidential’ Criminal Defense Work For Years. Taxpayers are on the hook for as much as $700 an hour to block some records from being seen by federal investigators. Civil Beat.

Moiliili resident threatens to sue city over sidewalks blocked by homeless camps. Along Isenberg Street, walkways often resemble an obstacle course. Hawaii News Now.

Impact of Oahu’s Vacation Rental Crackdown. The law permits only 1,715 new bed-and-breakfasts — where the owner-occupant is present — and prohibits whole-home rentals. Hawaii Business.

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Volunteers map out hottest Oahu neighborhoods for NOAA campaign. With the help of volunteers, Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency said it has successfully completed Oahu’s first Community Heat Mapping Campaign. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Completes Heat Mapping Campaign. Volunteers mapped Oahu “hot spots” as climate change heats up. Civil Beat.

These strange tools will help shape cooling initiatives on Oahu. On Aug. 31, some 28 volunteers drove specific routes throughout Oahu three times that day — the same day Honolulu hit 95 degrees. Hawaii News Now.

Volunteers map ‘hot spots’ around Oahu. The Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency (Resilience Office) has completed Oahu’s first Community Heat Mapping Campaign. KHON2.

Honolulu’s Poorly Timed Traffic Signals Aren’t Very Smart. The city aims to start installing technology that can detect traffic congestion on some of Oahu’s more than 820 lights next year. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Committee hears ideas for the future of county waste management programs. Methane-powered buses were among several ideas bandied about Tuesday during a County Council committee meeting to discuss the county’s waste management programs. Tribune-Herald.

Harry Kim Now The Highest-Paid Neighbor Island Mayor. Maui County has the most employees, but Hawaii County has generally caught up in the salaries paid to top executives. Civil Beat.

United Nations Indigenous Issues Expert Pens Letter To Governor About Mauna Kea. The letter by Tarcila Rivera Zea calls for "a participative dialogue between the State of Hawaii and Kanaka Maoli Protectors to seek a peaceful resolution to the tension on Mauna Kea." Big Island Video News.

TMT Opponents Allege Police Misconduct, Harassment. The kiaʻi claim the police are conducting public and covert harassment at the base of Mauna Kea as the Thirty Meter Telescope standoff continues. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Mahi Pono plants citrus trees. The company that purchased more than 40,000 acres of old sugar fields from Alexander & Baldwin in December began planting potatoes last month. Maui News.

Multiple efforts are scheduled for ‘International Coastal Cleanup Day’. Maui organizations are holding cleanups around the island as part of “International Coastal Cleanup Day” on Sept. 21. Maui News.

Kauai


Realtors focus on housing ‘crisis’. Traffic has nothing to do with housing, said Paul Brewbaker, principal economist of TZ Economics. Garden Island.

Meeting targets natural resources. The East and West Kauai Soil and Water Conservation Districts are holding an important Local Work Group meeting for Kauai agricultural producers representing crops and livestock, private forest land owners, and other professionals representing agricultural and conservation interests. Garden Island.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Hawaii Rep. Takai diagnosed with pancreatic tumor, Ige and cabinet on the road, $300M lost on Hawaii Obamacare, possible dengue fever on Big Island, group appeals Hawaiian election ruling, Waste Management settles with EPA on landfill charges, no expansion for Molokai national park, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii congressional office courtesy photo
Congressman Takai, courtesy photo
U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has been diagnosed with a small tumor on his pancreas after undergoing tests to determine why he had been experiencing some stomach pain in recent weeks, according to a spokesman. Takai, 48, was elected to his first term in Congress last year representing urban Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has been diagnosed with a tumor on his pancreas. Civil Beat.

Congressman Takai releases statement on personal health. Takai press release.

Gov. David Ige and members of his cabinet highlighted some of the administration's early achievements tonight — including speeding up the use of federal dollars on transportation projects, closing on the Turtle Bay conservation deal and boosting the state's bond rating — at a community meeting at Windward Community College in Kaneohe. Star-Advertiser.

Nearly 40,000 Hawaii Health Connector enrollments are shifting to the federal healthcare.gov site in a week. Hawaii Health Connector Executive Director Jeff Kissel said $300 million in taxpayer dollars would have been saved if the state had used the federal program to enroll residents. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Department of Health doesn’t plan to hold a public hearing or accept public comments on rules governing the state’s new medical marijuana dispensary system before releasing draft rules by Jan. 4, 2016. That means entrepreneurs will have only a few days to review the rules before applying between Jan. 11 and Jan. 29, for eight coveted licenses to grow and sell medical cannabis. Civil Beat.

Over 60 percent of patients registered for medical marijuana cards in Hawaii are over the age of 56, according to new data revealed by the Department of Health. Scottina Malia Ruis, the agency’s medical marijuana registry coordinator, presented the information during the Hawaii Bar Association’s conference at the Hawaii Convention Center on Friday. Civil Beat.

Last week’s decision by a federal judge to allow the election for delegates to a Native Hawaiian constitutional convention to proceed is being appealed by the Grassroot Institute. Civil Beat.

A federal judge ruled Friday that an election can go forward to choose delegates to draft a document allowing Native Hawaiians to govern themselves. Associated Press.

Kaiser Permanente employees have ratified a new contract that gives 1,900 workers at 22 facilities in Hawaii at 2.5 percent wage increase this year. Star-Advertiser.

Nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente employees in Hawaii have ratified a three-year deal with one of its employee unions after three years of bargaining, the union and the health maintenance organization said Monday. Pacific Business News.

Why Is Hawaiian Electric Ready To Cash Out? A company that thrived for more than a century in the islands is ready to sell. It is a good deal for executives and, the power company’s CEO argues, for the rest of us, too. Civil Beat.

A decades-long fight over the future of the aquarium industry’s collecting of fish in Hawaii was renewed last week when two state agencies requested an emergency moratorium on the practice in light of unprecedented coral bleaching. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Rail officials announced Monday that for July, August and September, the transit project will receive $64.8 million from Oahu’s general excise tax surcharge to fund construction. That’s $8.3 million more than what the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation had expected to take in for the quarter, based on the project’s financial plan. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said Monday that it is $30.5 million behind its projections for revenue from Hawaii’s general excise and use tax surcharge, despite its latest quarterly installment being higher than anticipated. Pacific Business News.

Some 130 people living in three oceanside homeless encampments that grew in size after the city cleared out the adjacent Kakaako makai encampment have at least three more weeks before state sheriff’s deputies push them somewhere else. Star-Advertiser.

A large segment of the homeless population in Kaka’ako has moved to nearby state parks.  In response to this development, the Governor announced plans for a coordinated effort to enforce park closure rules. Hawaii Public Radio.

Two West Oahu nonprofits will receive $100,000 each under the terms of a plea agreement reached between federal prosecutors and Waste Management of Hawaii to settle a case involving the spillage of millions of gallons of contaminated stormwater from the island’s only landfill into the ocean several years ago. Federal prosecutors agreed to drop more serious felony charges against Waste Management and top employees Joe Whelan and Justin Lottig in exchange for their guilty pleas to misdemeanor counts of negligent discharge of pollutants for violating the U.S. Clean Water Act. Star-Advertiser.

Investigators from the state tax, labor and business departments raided construction sites Monday at at least nine boutiques and food establishments near Bloomingdale's in Ala Moana Center’s newest wing, which is still under construction. Ala Moana Center's Ewa Wing Expansion opens Nov. 12.More They were acting on a complaint by the Hawaii Construction Alliance, which represents five unions including the carpenters, after their undercover informants made troubling findings. Hawaii News Now.

Nearly 630 acres of Oahu’s north shore coastline have been preserved from development in perpetuity, thanks to an agreement finalized this week between Turtle Bay Resort and the state of Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

A few months ago the state sent letters to Diamond Head shoreline homeowners asking them to cut back overgrown vegetation encroaching onto the public beach. And they listened. Hawaii News Now.

The U.S. government has agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a man's medical malpractice lawsuit that says prostate cancer surgery at a Honolulu military hospital left him incontinent, impotent and blind. Associated Press.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi said Monday no homeless sweeps are planned on the Big Island such as those recently carried out at an encampment in Oahu’s Kakaako neighborhood — or like the ones Gov. David Ige says will take place at two Honolulu parks if individuals and families don’t move soon. Tribune-Herald.

The governor’s coordinator on homelessness said about 45 percent of the $1.3 million Gov. David Ige allocated under an emergency proclamation to address the issue statewide will go to Neighbor Island programs. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Health is awaiting test results in two possible cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever on the Big Island. Star-Advertiser.

A desire to save consumers money and reduce their environmental footprint has led the county Department of Water Supply to expand into energy generation, said Keith Okamoto, the department’s manager-chief engineer on Monday night. West Hawaii Today.

They say you can’t fight city hall. But people can — and it seems increasing numbers do — sue their local government. Since 2010, Hawaii County residents have sought redress for everything from an avocado falling from a tree in a county-owned right of way striking a windshield to contracting a flesh-eating bacteria in a county hot pond to vehicle damage from hitting a feral goat on Mamalahoa Highway to fingerprint dust spilled in a burglary victim’s home causing carpet damage to purchasing a grave site that was already occupied. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A lottery for vouchers for federally subsidized rental housing assistance will be held from Monday through Nov. 8, according to an announcement from the Maui County branch of Mental Health America of Hawaii. Maui News.

Currently under new management and with a new name, a film studio in a leased warehouse at the Maui Lani Village Center has lined up at least three film or TV projects starting in early December and running into 2016, Maui County Film Commissioner Tracy Bennett said last week. Maui News.

Kula Produce has begun construction on a new produce facility at the Maui Lani Village Center, which should be completed at the end of 2016. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County learned Monday it landed $13 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds will be used for the revitalization of the Lihue Town Core. Garden Island.

Colorado-based Timbers Resorts is planning a $750 million to $800 million development of the unfinished Kauai Lagoons master-planned oceanfront community that will include 468 units in a mix of oceanfront and golf course homes, condominium units, hotel and townhomes. Pacific Business News.

Molokai

The National Park Service has nixed the idea of expanding Molokai's Kalaupapa National Historical Park's boundaries within nearby Pelekunu and Halawa valleys because of opposition voiced at public meetings and during a comment period earlier this year. Maui News.

The National Park Service is seeking new members to appoint to the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission. Maui News.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Hawaii tourism board targets gay marriage market, battle intensifies between aquarium collectors and environmentalists, property tax hikes mulled on Oahu, Kauai, general plan updates on Hawaii and Maui, Hawaii pension plan ekes out an increase, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Waikiki wedding © 2014 All Hawaii News
Hawai’i’s $15 billion visitor industry is in the process of diversifying and re-tooling to meet an onslaught of competition from other tourist destinations. Hawaii Public Radio.

Tourist industry gets on board. More couples are choosing Hawaii for same-sex weddings and honeymoons. Star-Advertiser.

Fisheries Panel Destroys Tape of Secret Meeting. The meeting held in the conference room of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Honolulu office on the afternoon of Jan. 29 must have been a doozy. Civil Beat
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The underwater assault caught on camera on the Big Island is making waves nationwide and its sparking more debate between environmentalists and aquarium fish collectors. The conflict between the two sides is quite passionate and it isn't expected to end anytime soon. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii's largest public pension fund eked out a small increase in its fiscal third quarter as assets climbed to an all-time high of $13.7 billion. The state Employees' Retirement System posted a 1.5 percent investment gain in the January-March period to boost its nine-month fiscal-year return to 12.5 percent. Star-Advertiser.

The future of more than 125,000 people who registered for the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission, Kana'iolowalu, is not in jeopardy following a state department inquiry seeking clarification on the legal status of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Hawaii News Now.

The bump in hotel tax revenue that state lawmakers offered Hawaii's counties this legislative session was a glass-half-empty raise. Associated Press.

Another legislative session is over and it’s time for assessing the outcomes. For the most part, it’s pretty straightforward. The rather robust legislative website makes it much easier than it used to be to find information about what passed and how. Civil Beat.

A new poll suggests that a Democrat facing a credible primary challenge may have gained some momentum in his bid to be reelected to the Senate. The left-leaning firm Public Policy Polling released a poll Tuesday showing Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) with a commanding 15-point lead over his primary rival, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii). The poll was conducted on behalf of the progressive group Democracy for America, which came out in support of Schatz in February. HuffPost Hawaii.

A senator is vocally contesting the inclusion of a project in his home state in the 2014 “Congressional Pig Book.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued a statement over the weekend touting his effort to preserve (and in fact increase) funding for the East-West Center, a cultural and education exchange center established by Congress in 1960 that’s based in Honolulu. Civil Beat.

Members of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents' budget committee Tuesday hinted at the possibility of providing some tuition relief to students as early as next spring. Star-Advertiser.

The Right Stuff? Retired General Vies for University of Hawaii Presidency. Civil Beat.

An online petition is questioning the qualifications of one of the finalists to become the next University of Hawaii president. Associated Press.

Oahu

The City Council moved a step closer to passing Honolulu's budget for the upcoming fiscal year after approving several measures Tuesday in Budget Committee. One of the more controversial measures involves raising the property tax rate on hotels and those who own vacation or investment homes worth $1 million or more. KITV4.

City contractor Waste Management and two of its top officials entered not-guilty pleas Tuesday in U.S. District Court to charges linked to the discharge of hundreds of millions of gallons of contaminated stormwater from the city's Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill into the ocean near Ko Olina Resort. Star-Advertiser.

An unnamed city employee has admitted to misusing sick leave and accepting inappropriate gifts from an employee of a private company that had business before his/her department, according a city Ethics Commission advisory opinion. Civil Beat.

Each year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires Honolulu county to conduct a Point in Time (PIT) count of Oahu’s houseless. Literally a snapshot of the houseless population, the PIT happens on a random day during the year. This years’ took place on the night of January 22, 2014. Hawaii Independent.

The Queen's Medical Center is putting the final touches on its $100 million Ewa hospital, which will open May 20 and restore emergency services to West Oahu after a more than two-year absence. Star-Advertiser.

About 110 Schofield Barracks soldiers stood at attention Tuesday as they prepared for something increasingly rare: a deployment to Afghanistan. Star-Advertiser.

Mokulele Airlines confirmed Tuesday that it plans to begin the first commercial service out of Kalaeloa Airport on July 1 and will gradually ease into the operation by offering three daily nonstop round-trip flights between Kahului and the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Poised to miss a deadline that was set 10 years ago, the county Planning Department on Tuesday got a three-year reprieve to update the county General Plan. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences Governing Board delayed action Tuesday at a meeting regarding abuse allegations against a teacher after the teacher left the meeting out of fear of the crowd. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County could have the $20 million it needs to finish the Mamalahoa bypass within five weeks. Deputy Corporation Counsel Joseph Kamelamela said Tuesday a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge’s ruling should be finalized in one to two weeks, with the payment coming to the county two to three weeks later. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Maui County Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday to gather testimony about a bill that would adopt the implementation program of the Maui Island Plan. Maui News.

Commercial thrillcraft operators have agreed to relocate their businesses farther away from the popular Hanakao'o (Canoe) Beach Park in light of community concerns about safety, especially during regatta season. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council on Tuesday approved a broad swath of spending measures, cuts and tax increases to level out the county’s budget over the next fiscal year. What that will likely mean for residents are increases in real property taxes across five categories. Those categories range from a 30-cent increase for homeowners in the county’s residential class to a $1.85 increase for hotel and resort class properties per $1,000 in assessed valuation. Garden Island.

Dylan Hooser filed nomination papers Monday to become a candidate for the State House of Representatives District 15 seat for the 2014 elections. Hooser is a small business owner who resides in Wailua Homesteads and is the current chair of the Kauai Young Democrats. Garden Island.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Hawaii internment camp to be national park, shorter men live longer, charter schools struggle for approval, Health Department cites Big Island landfills, Honolulu cracks down on ag houses, UH presidential hopefills visit Maui and Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

National Park Service
Honouliuli Internment Camp, courtesy National Park Service
The National Park Service said Thursday it wants to make the former Honouliuli Internment Camp, now weedy and overgrown, a historic site as a new unit of the national park system, or a national monument. Star-Advertiser.

The National Park Service on Thursday proposed making the former Honouliuli Internment Camp on Oahu either a monument or a historic site. The park service plans to hold meetings this month and next to get the public's feedback. Associated Press.

In a report released Thursday, the National Park Service found that the former Honouliuli Internment Camp in Waipahu is a nationally significant historic site, a big step toward designating the area as a national monument.  The draft study evaluated 17 sites in Hawaii to determine what should be included in the national park system, and concluded that both the Honouliuli Internment Camp and the U.S. Immigration Station qualified as nationally significant. Civil Beat.

National Park Service
Honouliuli Internment Camp
A former internment camp where Japanese and European Americans were incarcerated during World War II could soon become a National Monument or Historic Site, the first ever in Hawai'i. Hawaii News Now.

Read the report here.

Size really does matter when it comes to living longer. In the largest, most detailed and longest study on aging, a team of Hawaii researchers discovered shorter men live longer. Hawaii News Now.

You're a Japanese male and you have some crazy notion about wanting to be taller. Better think again. A Honolulu-based research study published this week found a connection between short height and longer life in men of Japanese ancestry. Star-Advertiser.

Over the past few months, six prospective Hawaii public charter schools sought approval from state commissioners to move forward with their plans to develop alternative, publicly funded places of learning. But the state’s eight-member Charter School Commission denied four of the applications on Thursday for reasons ranging from insufficient planning to failure to integrate Hawaii’s culture into the learning model. Civil Beat.

A group of concerned state lawmakers has called together advocates for people with disabilities to increase public awareness of the services health care providers are obligated to provide patients who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf and blind. Star-Advertiser.

A massive molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor last fall led Hawaii lawmakers to introduce legislation designed to prevent a repeat disaster. But the proposals they crafted failed to survive the 2014 legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

A massive molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor last fall led Hawaii lawmakers to introduce legislation designed to prevent a repeat performance. But the proposals they crafted failed to survive the 2014 legislative session. Associated Press.

For her very first congressional campaign commercial, Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim takes a novel approach. Civil Beat.

A national organization promoting the labeling of genetically modified foods has opened an office in Honolulu. The Center for Food Safety has also established a local political action committee and will get involved in state elections this summer. Associated Press.

The State’s 4 County Mayors addressed members of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai’i today during a luncheon in Honolulu.   It was the first event of its kind hosted by the Chamber and some members said it provided a fresh perspective.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Profile: Scott Enright earned his bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, but somehow ended up having a long career in agriculture. "You know, it certainly wasn't planned," said Enright, who is chairman of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture and thus de facto director of the state Department of Agriculture. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The city is cracking down on what it says are illegal houselike buildings in a remote agricultural subdivision in the foothills of Kunia where residences are prohibited. Star-Advertiser.

Bus riders tired of homeless sleeping on benches. Hawaii News Now.

An infestation of bedbugs has become so rampant at the Oahu Community Correctional Center that officials announced a plan Thursday to shut down a housing module for fumigation and temporarily relocate more than 100 inmates. Star-Advertiser.

An arraignment of individuals charged with various crimes in connection with sweepstakes machines was held Thursday in Circuit Court. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County has been fined more than $350,000 by the state Department of Health for alleged solid waste permit violations at the Hilo and West Hawaii landfills. Tribune-Herald.

The April 30 indictment of Waste Management of Hawaii Inc. and two of its officials shouldn’t have an impact on its lifetime contract to run the West Hawaii landfill or the current selection process for a waste-reduction facility to replace the Hilo landfill. West Hawaii Today.

An associate degree in marine science is one of the programs that could be offered when Hawaii Community College — Palamanui is up and running next year. Kenneth Fletcher, University of Hawaii Center at West Hawaii director, told residents in Waikoloa Wednesday night that many opportunities exist to link higher education with businesses. West Hawaii Today.

State officials say it will take about $2.1 million in capital improvements to help transition Kiholo State Park Reserve to a wilderness park, and estimate annual operating, maintenance costs at about $555,000. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

David Lassner and retired Lt. Gen. Francis Wiercinski, both seeking to become president of the University of Hawaii system, offered slightly different visions for the future of the University of Hawaii Maui College in separate public appearances at the college Thursday. Maui News.

The Hawai'i Health Connector has been a costly mistake, and the state government should immediately seek a waiver from the federal Affordable Care Act's requirement for the state to have an online insurance exchange, said Michael Gold, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Medical Service Association. Maui News.

Sugar production at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui, the state's last sugar plantation, plummeted 83 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to last year due to "extremely wet conditions," Alexander & Baldwin reported in its first quarter report Thursday. Maui News.

Kauai

By their own accounts, Francis “Frank” Wiercinski and David Lassner were on different paths in life. Garden Island.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Still legal to eat cats and dogs in Hawaii, governor signs hemp bill, Kauai GMO rules published, Maui budget fights, Turtle Bay funds in limbo, Waste Management officials indicted, sweepstakes machines illegal, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy photo
Hawaii Rep. Cynthia Thielen in hemp field, courtesy photo
Hawaii plans to plant industrial hemp this summer for the first time in 15 years, thanks to a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Star-Advertiser.

Today is the final day of the 2014 Hawaii Legislature, but there is still some unfinished business. Civil Beat.

State Rep. Rida Cabanilla says she was standing up for her community when she sought a grant-in-aid from the state Legislature so the Ewa Historical Society could restore the dilapidated Ewa Plantation Cemetery, where plantation workers are buried. But many of her fellow lawmakers who approved the $100,000 grant on Tuesday were not aware that Cabanilla essentially controls the Ewa Historical Society. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers failed to pass legislation this session that would have outlawed the slaughtering or trafficking of dogs or cats for human consumption. Civil Beat.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie personally called several state House lawmakers Wednesday and urged them to approve the financing for land preservation at Turtle Bay Resort, while House leaders said a vote count was still fluid. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said it’s strengthening its ability to penalize those who intentionally or negligently damage coral on a large scale. Associated Press.

Public sector collective bargaining is at least partly to blame for unsafe conditions at the Hawaii State Hospital, according to the tearful testimony of a top nurse who works at the facility. Civil Beat.

By the end of May, Hawaii teachers should know how they fared under a new evaluation system that has administrators sitting in on classrooms and students filling out assessments of how well teachers are meeting their needs. West Hawaii Today.

Starting Thursday, Hawaii residents applying for a driver's license or renewal will need to present two documents showing proof of principal residence in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Norbert Bajurin, commodore of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, which is the current holder of the America’s Cup won by Larry Ellison’s Team Oracle USA, is not shutting the door completely on the prospects of having the next America’s Cup in Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

In heavily Democratic Hawaii, Republican candidates often face an uphill battle in elections. But Republican Charles Djou, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress, said his political affiliation could be an asset for the state. Associated Press.

Commentary: Hanabusa prioritizes military money. Hawaii Independent.

Living Hawaii: Where Child Care Can Cost More Than College. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Two top officials for the operator of the city's Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill knowingly committed violations of the U.S. Clean Water Act and then conspired and made false statements to the state Health Department, according to a 13-count federal indictment Wednesday. The indictment names Waste Management of Hawaii Inc. General Manager and Vice President Joseph Whelan and environmental protection manager Justin Lottig. Star-Advertiser.

A federal court judge has settled the question over whether sweepstakes machines are really gambling devices after raids dating back to September 2012. KHON2.

A heated legislative debate – and now the arrest of two alleged prostitutes – have put an international spotlight on Honolulu Police Department vice investigation tactics. Hawaii Reporter.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa was named on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the 55 higher education institutions nationwide that are under investigation for the mishandling of sexual violence complaints. Hawaii News Now.

Another major development in Kaka’ako was approved today by the Hawai’i Community Development Authority.  This one features more than 600 residential units and space for the community’s first grocery store. Hawaii Public Radio.

A residential high-rise envisioned to become a major catalyst for a new neighborhood master-planned by Kamehameha Schools in Kakaako was approved Wednesday by a state agency regulating development in the area. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

County planners can’t meet the deadline to update the General Plan, so they’re asking the County Council to delete the deadline from the law. West Hawaii Today.

A former University of Hawaii at Hilo employee is suing the university for alleged racial discrimination. Tribune-Herald.

The loss of librarian positions at West Hawaii schools continues to be a sore point for some residents. West Hawaii Today.

The state Legislature failed to pass a hunting bill because of questions about funding. The bill in its final version would have created a statewide hunting advisory commission and established a pilot program on the Big Island that would have involved cooperation between hunters and the state on game management. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Some proposed budget cuts made to Mayor Alan Arakawa's fiscal 2015 budget went too far, so much so it could negatively impact county residents and services, the Arakawa administration told a council committee Tuesday. Maui News.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development announced plans for an inaugural “Made in Maui County” Festival, to be held November 7 and 8 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului. Maui Now.

Kauai

Draft administrative rules pertaining to a new law regulating pesticide use and the growth of genetically modified organisms by large-scale commercial agricultural operations on Kauai are posted on the county's website for review and public comment. Star-Advertiser.

The proposed administrative rules for the ordinance can be downloaded as a pdf here.

The state Land Board unanimously voted to move a $2 million Hanalei River restoration project forward despite U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s refusal to sign a Use and Access Agreement. Garden Island.

Free medical care will be returning to Kauai, courtesy of the federal government. A 10-day program, known as Tropic Care will provide free optometry and dental care to residents islandwide between June 16 and June 26. Garden Island.