Honolulu medical marijuana users told to surrender guns, nuclear attack warning sirens to be tested Friday, Russian billionaire yacht turned back from Molokai harbor, public forum set for new Oahu jail, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

HPD medical marijuana gun letter circulating on Facebook

HPD tells medical marijuana patients to turn in their guns. The Honolulu Police Department is ordering legal cannabis patients to “voluntarily surrender” any guns they own because pot is still considered an illegal drug under federal law. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Police Tell Medical Marijuana Patients To Give Up Their Guns. Some say the department’s policy of sending letters to patients is an escalation of efforts to deny gun permits. Civil  Beat.

North Korea’s test launch Tuesday of what could be its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile yet seems to add further justification to the state planning for what officials are still calling the “extremely unlikely” possibility of a strike on Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Announcement of Attack Warning Siren. Gov. David Ige, Director of Emergency Management Major General Arthur J. Logan and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi presented the tone and discussed the need for the Attack Warning Signal, how it will be used and what their agencies are doing to prepare our state for a nuclear threat. Big Island Now.

Get ready, Hawaii. For the first time since the Cold War, an "attack warning" siren with a wavering tone will sound Friday across the state. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii readies ‘attack warning’ siren tone in event of unlikely nuclear attack. KHON2.

A new website can now show you the economic impact the U.S. military has in the islands. The U.S. military is the second biggest driver to Hawaii’s economy…with approximately 2 billion dollars being spent annually in the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hotel rate increases drive October performance. A higher average hotel rate drove up hotel performance in October, offsetting flat statewide occupancy, according to a Hawaii hotel performance report distributed Tuesday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Star-Advertiser.

RevPAR, or revenue per available room, for Hawaii hotels increased 3.8 percent in October to $189 compared to last year, with Hawaii Island reporting the largest gain, according to the Hawaii Hotel Performance Report released Tuesday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

Hotels across Hawaii earned more revenue per available room in October at $189 (+3.8%) compared to a year ago, according to the Hawaii Hotel Performance Report released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Maui Now.

Pledge to investigate Kamehameha Schools sex abuse went unfulfilled. Hawaii News Now.

Former trustees: 'Wall of secrecy' at Kamehameha Schools helped sex abuse stay hidden. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Public forum tonight on plan for new jail. The public will have an opportunity to comment on state plans for a proposed new jail on what is now the site of the Animal Quarantine Station in Halawa Valley at a public meeting tonight. Star-Advertiser.

20 companies to vie for former Island Air employees at job fair. Star-Advertiser.

Homeless move into cemetery, frustrating efforts to clean it up. Hawaii News Now.

Mormon Church North Shore Housing Plans Hit Roadblock. A City Council bill to preserve ag land in Koolauloa could restrict a proposed 550-unit housing and commercial development. Civil Beat.

Malaekahana development to be discussed in meeting. Hawaii Reserves Inc. is expected to present publicly for the first time an alternative to its contentious Envision Laie plan at a meeting of the Honolulu City Council’s Planning Committee at 6:30 p.m. today at Hauula Elementary School. Star-Advertiser.

Did Honolulu Police Go Too Far In The Case Of This Man’s Death? Sheldon Haleck died after a struggle with police in 2015. He was on meth. He refused to get out of the road. Police say they took appropriate actions. Civil Beat.

A first look of Kapiolani Medical Center's new ER space: Slideshow. The Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children will open a new emergency room next month. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Commercial haulers and others taking garbage to the landfill will be paying more to toss their trash, if the County Council agrees with a Department of Environmental Management request to raise tipping fees 33 percent over five years. West Hawaii Today.

County seeks members for boards, commissions. A number of boards and commissions, made up of private citizens, have had trouble getting quorum at meetings. Some have difficulty even getting enough members to make a quorum. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Salary Commission on Monday approved double-digit raises for some of the county's top officials. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Police Department and its Neighborhood Watch division will be sharing public information on emergency guidelines for a possible nuclear event, as recommended by Hawaii County. West Hawaii Today.

Hilo Hospital Goes It Alone With Rat Lungworm Treatment. Many of the disease’s more severe cases are popping up on the Big Island, where the resident expert prefers an aggressive approach. Civil Beat.

Maui

New Law Would Ban Smoking in Cars with Minors. A bill that would make it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with a minor present will be reintroduced in a special Maui County Council committee meeting on Jan. 5. Maui Now.


West Maui condo fined $100,000 for unpermitted structures. Unpermitted items include barbecue grills, a stairway, an eating area and a seawall. Maui News.

A woman who survived a crash near Hana that killed her twin sister waived her right to a jury trial on a murder charge and will be tried by 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill beginning Jan. 29. Maui News.

Maui ranch pegged for housing back in bankruptcy. Star-Advertiser.

Maui Metro Area Named “Drunkest City” in Hawaii. A new report lists the Maui County metro areas of Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina as the “Drunkest City” in Hawaii. Maui Now.

Kauai

Lawmakers suspicious on whale beachings. The five pilot whales that died on Kalapaki Beach after the Oct. 13 stranding weren’t diseased and some are questioning whether there’s a connection with the state’s Lehua Island rat poisoning project or military sonar. Garden Island.

Marine scientists investigating the mass stranding of five pilot whales on Kauai’s Kalapaki Beach last month have ruled out disease as causing the event, and say something sudden must have triggered the stranding. Garden Island.

Mainland real estate investment firm Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP said Tuesday that it placed acquisition financing of $32.3 million with a Mainland investor for Epic Real Estate Partners’ $43.55 million purchase of the Safeway-anchored Kauai Village Shopping Center. Pacific Business News.

The new owner of the Safeway-anchored Kauai Village Shopping Center has hired Honolulu-based Commercial Consultants Inc. to handle leasing at the center and has plans to remodel the buildings’ exteriors. Pacific Business News.

Fugitive captured on Kauai. William Lawrence, 41, had been on the run since 2006, when he was convicted of forcible sexual abuse and forcible sodomy, a third-degree felony, according to a press release. At the time of the alleged abuse, Lawrence worked as a correctional officer for the Utah Department of Corrections. Garden Island.

Molokai

Billionaire’s massive yacht turned away at Molokai harbor. A billionaire was blocked from docking at a Molokai harbor after he tried to visit the island with his massive yacht. Garden Island.

Molokai residents send message to billionaire Russian boater: Go away. After protesters blocked a cruise ship from docking at Kaunakakai Harbor several years ago, residents set a protocol for luxury ships and large groups of visitors wanting to come to Molokai. Maui News.

Hawaii restricts kayaking, Steven Tyler paparazzi bill up for Senate vote, teachers fear for pay hikes, Legislature mulls arcane Maui dance ban, big Puna marijuana bunker busted, 220,000 barrels of Kona beer, Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto arrested, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii kayakers (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

There are more fees and restrictions on kayaking. The Department of Land and Natural Resources said it's to protect the wildlife, but kayak companies say it's hurting their business. KITV4.

The state Senate is expected to vote Tuesday  on a bill that would give celebrities in Hawaii a new legal tool against paparazzi. Star-Advertiser.

The state treasury has gotten itself out of a $1 billion investment pickle. The Department of Budget and Finance has arranged to cash out its remaining position in a huge investment that was hard to exit and attracted withering criticism from the state auditor three years ago. Star-Advertiser.

Citigroup Inc. has agreed to buy back from the state of Hawaii the last $231 million of $1.1 billion in auction-rate securities that it had sold to the state five years ago, before the market began to collapse. Pacific Business News.

The union for public school teachers says contract talks are at a critical point as a deadline for budget legislation looms at the state Capitol. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s old schools need more than a fresh coat of paint to make them new again, state officials say. The facilities need to be overhauled to ensure students are learning in a 21st century environment, which involves flexible floor plan designs and advanced technology. Two school land bills, which face a big test Tuesday, propose public-private partnerships to help the district upgrade existing facilities and build new schools. Civil Beat.

The federal government has started sending out furlough notices that may affect tens of thousands of workers in Hawaii as a result of sequestration. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, the state's largest industrial employer, held a town hall meeting Monday to discuss the issue, the first of about 10 such meetings scheduled for this week with more than 4,000 affected civilian workers, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Budget fights are continuing in Washington this week. The jury’s still out on what the impact of Friday’s so called sequestration will be for Hawaii. But it’s left many of the state’s non-profits worried about the loss in federal funding. Hawaii Public Radio.

As more people vote absentee, the potential for voter fraud and voter intimidation also grows. There are at least two bills moving through the Legislature that bar candidates from handling ballots or helping voters fill them out. Civil Beat.

Flooding and drought hit Hawaii taro farmers hard last year, reducing estimated production of the crop to its lowest level in at least 20 years. Star-Advertiser.

Lanai’s owner, Larry Ellison, wasn’t the only billionaire with strong Hawaii ties to make Forbes magazine’s annual list of the world’s richest people this year. eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, the only full-time Hawaii resident on the list, tied for No. 123 with four other global tycoons. Pacific Business News.

State roundup for March 5. Associated Press.

Oahu

Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto was arrested in Tokyo on Tuesday, Japan time, on suspicion of violating corporate tax law, the Japanese television network NTV reported. The money was used to buy art for the museum Kawamoto was building in Hawaii, the network reported. Star-Advertiser.

Plans to develop the Ala Wai Boat Harbor will shut down its one and only fueling dock. KHON2.

U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi says the sweepstakes machines that police seized from six Oahu arcades in September appear to be gambling devices prohibited under state law. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Liquor Commission Administrator Greg Nishioka told his investigators to refrain from arresting people and stop using handcuffs and other gear following an incident of alleged excessive force by two investigators about one year ago. Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell and supporters of the (de)Occupy Honolulu movement agree on at least one thing: The trees in Thomas Square should be trimmed and other park improvements made. Star-Advertiser.

Under Mayor Kirk Caldwell's newly proposed budget, Old Stadium Park and dozens of other areas around Oahu would get new life. Hawaii News Now.

Despite a series of construction delays and concern about risking NCAA certification, the University of Hawaii said the $13 million Clarence T. C. Ching Athletic Complex will be completed by its end-of-December deadline. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Despite an annual budget of only $12,600 for travel-related costs for three county professional associations, five County Council members are currently attending the National Association of Counties convention in Washington, D.C., a trip that is likely to cost $3,000 per council member. West Hawaii Today.

A two-year investigation ended with the dismantling of an elaborate underground bunker used to grow marijuana in Glenwood, the confiscation of more than 500 marijuana plants, about 10 pounds of dried marijuana and some hashish and the arrest of two people. Star-Advertiser.

A mainland-based developer has completed the purchase of 52 lots from The Club at Hokulia. West Hawaii Today.

A former Hakalau man is being accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing boys he had adopted and using them for cheap labor on his farm. Tribune-Herald.

Attorneys have filed a lawsuit on behalf of two men accusing Father George DeCosta, a revered Big Island priest, of sexually abusing two boys while he worked as a chaplain at a Catholic school on Oahu. Tribune-Herald.

Kona Brewing Co.’s shipments totaled 220,000 barrels of beer in 2012, an increase of 27.3 percent from the 172,800 barrels that were shipped in 2011, the Hawaii-based company said. Pacific Business News.

Maui

Establishments that serve alcohol on Maui are required to limit dancing to dance floors, which have to be at least 100 square feet, clearly designated and alcohol-free. The Senate is planning to vote today on a bill that would require county liquor commissions to define the term “dancing” in response to many complaints about the regulations. Associated Press.

About 25 state Department of Land and Natural Resources employees and volunteers from the Maui Community Action Committee joined together to plant more than 50 Haleakala silverswords within the Kahikinui Forest Reserve on Saturday morning. Maui News.

Four small-town projects have been awarded an estimated total of $67,000 in the county Planning Department's first round of "small town planning" grant program awards, the county announced. Maui News.

The state House unanimously passed a bill out of its chamber for the purchase of land at Lipoa Point on Maui for permanent preservation. Maui Now.

A talk show will focus on Maui County's recent efforts to convert the island's solid waste into energy in an effort to cut down on the amount of trash that ends up in the Central Maui Landfill in Puunene. Maui News.

Kauai

More than 300 hundred people gathered at Waimea Canyon Middle School Sunday afternoon for a presentation about the effects of Atrazine, a herbicide used in agricultural fields near Waimea — a town described by Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte as the “central battle ground” in a fight against biotech companies and genetically modified organisms. Garden Island.