Thousands march against GMO, Big Island to mull fracking, malls block voter registration, Hawaii taxpayers subsidize religious schools, Honolulu bill bans lying down on sidewalks, lobbyist law flouted, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kauai anti-GMO march courtesy photo

Thousands of Kauaians — doctors, environmentalists, farmers, parents and concerned citizens from all walks of life — poured into the streets of Lihue in a sea of red Sunday to participate in what organizers are calling the largest march in the island’s history. Garden Island.

On the normally placid main street on Sunday afternoon, thousands of people marched in protest. As they snaked down Rice Street, toward the Kauai County Building, they chanted, "No More GMO! No More GMO!” Civil Beat.

Thousands on Kauai marched the streets to show their support of the “Right to Know” Bill, a bill that would require agricultural companies working with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to disclose the chemicals they’re using and take extra steps to keep the chemicals contained. KHON2.

Much attention has been turned in recent months to the fact that the agro-chemical/GMO industry -- corporate giants Dow, Pioneer DuPont, Syngenta, Monsanto, BASF -- have been using Hawaii since the 1990s as one of their main testing grounds for experiments engineering new pesticide-crop combos. On the "Garden Island" of Kauai, the industry controls over 15,000 acres of prime agricultural land, which they drench with over 17 tons of restricted-use pesticides each year, and likely at least five times that amount in non-restricted pesticides that may be equally as harmful (such as glyphosate). HuffPost Hawaii.

The Hawaii Legislature is contributing $1.5 million to a private Roman Catholic school to help fund construction of a new athletic complex, library and student services building, among other renovations. The allocation to Kalihi’s Damien Memorial School is one of roughly three dozen private capitol improvement projects that the 2013 Legislature agreed to subsidize through what are known as grants-in-aid. Civil Beat.

The rapid growth in residential solar power systems could mean Hawaiian Electric Co. will have to pass on to customers the cost of upgrades that allow the energy into the grid. The utility is contacting contractors and customers who plan to install solar panels to make sure they know about equipment upgrades they might have to pay for. The utility is asking to be contacted before customers make arrangements to install the panels. Associated Press.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. customers looking to install solar panels on their homes may no longer have to pay for an interconnection study. Hawaiian Electric Industries, HELCO’s parent company, announced the change Friday as one step toward making it easier and less expensive for customers on the Big Island, Oahu and Maui to install rooftop photovoltaic systems generating 10 kilowatts or less. West Hawaii Today.

With three members of Hawaii's all-Democrat congressional delegation having already spoken out against a military intervention in Syria, the fourth, Sen. Mazie Hirono, told Hawaii News Now on Monday that she was still undecided about how she will vote when asked to authorize an attack on the Assad regime. Hawaii News Now.

State roundup for September 9. Associated Press.

Oahu

Lying down on Oahu's public sidewalks would be banned except in certain circumstances under a bill introduced by a Honolulu City Council member last week. Bill 59, introduced by Councilman Stanley Chang, will get its first airing before the Council at its meeting Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Sleeping on a public sidewalk in Honolulu could soon result in a $50 fine. Honolulu City Councilman Stanley Chang has introduced a bill that will make sleeping, lounging or otherwise lying on the city’s walkways illegal. Civil Beat.

Malls refuse to allow voter registration on site. Pearlridge and Ala Moana seem to be confused on the difference between politics and civic duty. Hawaii Independent.

An international conference on clean energy in Honolulu is expected to draw 1,200 attendees from more than 30 countries. The 5th annual Asia Pacific Clean Energy and Expo begins Monday at the Hawaii Convention Center. Associated Press.

Hawaiian Electric Co.’s property that is the site of its soon-to-be-deactivated Downtown Honolulu power plant isn’t for sale and won’t be for a “large amount of time,” despite sitting on some prime piece of waterfront real estate, a HECO spokesman tells PBN. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Kai residents have tolerated a messy stinky dredging operation in the Hawaii Kai Marina for months. Hawaii Reporter.

Construction is set to resume soon on the controversial Honolulu rail project and rail officials have been making the rounds of editorial boards and reporters to talk about the biggest public works project in Hawaii history. Civil Beat.

A price peak for Oahu's housing market has stood tall for six years, but increasingly the record appears poised to fall. The latest home sales data set to be released today by the Hono­­lulu Board of Realtors shows that August was a hot month for the market, adding further momentum to topple the annual median price peak for single-family houses and condominiums set in 2007. Star-Advertiser.

The Makakilo-Kapolei Neighborhood Board vote rescinding support for the Ho‘opili development project and ‘Ewa Development Plan highlights the fact that the six new members of the board all ran on anti-development platforms and do not intend to break their promises. Hawaii Independent.

A smoking ban has been enforced at Kapiolani Beach, Kuhio Beach, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Beach, Sandy Beach, sandy areas of Ala Moana Beach Park, and Kapiolani Park. KITV.

Hawaii

A West Hawaii Today analysis of records kept at the County Clerk’s Office found that only two of the county’s 34 registered lobbyists filed the required expenditure disclosure by the most recent deadline. And an untold number of the lobbyists meeting with county officials on controversial issues such as zoning, land use and genetically modified organisms haven’t registered as lobbyists at all.

The Hawaii County Council took its first bite out of legislation on genetically altered crops Friday, voting down an overall ban but deferring a more limited bill to another day during a lengthy and at times contentious discussion. Tribune-Herald.

First, there were GMOs. And now there’s fracking. The Hawaii County Council will take on another controversial issue this month when it discusses a proposed ban on hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking. Tribune-Herald.

Looking to create a hedge against rising electricity prices, Parker Ranch has hired a team of consultants to determine whether the 130,000-acre ranch could meet its energy needs with renewable sources and have enough power left over to supply the neighboring town of Wai­mea and possibly other parts of Hawaii island. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Companies has again increased the amount of home photovoltaic systems that can be used by its net-metering customers before triggering interconnection studies. Big Island Now.

Saddle Road realignment -- renamed the Daniel K. Inouye Highway -- opens to the public. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii Island middle school teacher will take the ride of a lifetime this week aboard the world's only flying astronomical observatory — which also houses the world's largest flying telescope. Star-Advertiser.

Maui
Maui mayor launches effort to curb feral cats, chickens. A public forum will be held Wednesday in a Wailuku auditorium. Star-Advertiser.

A new study says that Maui could see some of its beaches completely disappear over the next few decades due to sea-level rise, following a trend of erosion at more than three-quarters of Valley Isle beaches in the last century. Maui News.

The County of Maui website was recognized with a second place award in the County Portal category of the 2013 Best of the Web awards. Maui Now.

Tattered smokestacks spewing thick ribbons of steam hint at life inside Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.'s nondescript factory, where sugar has been made for more than a century. At the HC&S plantation, generations of Maui residents helped shape the island's economy. And it's still one of the largest employers today, with an annual payroll exceeding $35 million for 800 full-time employees ranging from field and irrigation workers to lab technicians and mechanics. Star-Advertiser.

A $15 million settlement has been reached in a products liability and medical malpractice lawsuit brought by the family of a Kahului man who died after he received about two and a half times the appropriate dose of radiation to treat his cancer. Maui News.

Citing the declaration of a drought watch Upcountry, the U.S. Geological Survey in its "National Drought Summary" released last week said that very dry trade winds the previous three weeks had lowered stream flow diversions from the northeast-facing slopes of Haleakala that feed water supply reservoirs. Maui News.

The business outlook for Maui is positive in the next year, according to economists who spoke at the 39th Annual Maui County Business Outlook Form, held Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului. Maui Now.

Kauai
More than 200 people from four seed companies who turned out for a beach cleanup, which spanned the area from MacArthur Park through the Second Ditch. Garden Island.

The State Department of Health says the 100-gallon tank that washed ashore last week on Kauai’s Eastside contained trace amounts of kerosene, a fuel commonly used for heating and cooking. Garden Island.

Homegrown teachers Program provides support for locals seeking career in education. Garden Island.

Hawaii real estate trends for March 2013

Data courtesy Prudential Locations LLC

Abercrombie touts record bond sale, big changes for Alexander & Baldwin, PUC eases power sales, young state lawmaker recovering from stroke, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii projected debt service

The Abercrombie administration has completed a record bond sale of nearly $1.3 billion and restructured the state's debt as part of a long-term strategy to repair the financial damage left by the recession. Star-Advertiser.

It's being hailed as a monumental milestone for the state's economy -- Hawaii's largest-ever bond sale at historically low rates. KHON2.

Hawaii's announcement of $1.3 billion in new bond money will mean state projects can move forward and that will create jobs, Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Thursday. Civil Beat.

A year ago this month, just days after his swearing in, Gov. Neil Abercrombie's ambitious plans to have a "New Day" for Hawaii fell into a budget sinkhole. Civil Beat.

Abercromie Claims Lingle Left 'Financial Wreckage'; Former Governor Fights Back. Hawaii Reporter.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Budget and Finance Director Kalbert Young announced Thursday, December 1 that the State sold $1.28 billion of General Obligation Bonds. Hawaii Independent.

Hawaii will receive more than $14 million in federal grants to help it carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Associated Press.

The Public Utilities Commission has directed a further easing of the conditions by which alternative energy providers connect to the public utility electric grid throughout the state. Maui News.

Occupancy at Hawaii hotels rose by six percentage points last week, while average nightly room rates increased 4 percent from the same week last year, according to a report by Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research. Pacific Business News.

Shedding a business structure rooted in Hawaii's territorial past, Alexander & Baldwin Inc. announced Thursday it will become separate companies, one focused on real estate and agriculture and the other on transportation. Star-Advertiser.

State representative Chris Lee is back on the job and feeling like himself again after a stroke landed him in a hospital bed for four days in early November. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday that it is investigating allegations that screeners at Honolulu International Airport have targeted Mexican travelers for extra screening. Associated Press.

One of the Transportation Security Administration officers accused of targeting Mexican travelers for extra screening at Honolulu International Airport has been promoted. KITV4.

After traveling thousands of miles across the West Pacific, the U.S.S. Chung Hoon came home to Pearl Harbor Thursday, bringing nearly 300 sailors back to loved ones. KITV4.

APEC – the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting on O’ahu ended more than 2 weeks ago … and some people are now asking, “Was APEC worth it?” The Hawai’i Society of Business Professionals hosted a panel discussion on that very topic. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii

North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago said Thursday he won't seek another term, a move that ensures a new council majority when the governing body is sworn in next December. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County's multimillion-dollar Hilo recycling center should be privatized and expanded to allow mining of the adjacent landfill, says County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong. Tribune-Herald.

A provision allowing the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation to work on small boat harbors without permits couldn't find the votes Thursday at the Windward Planning Commission, forcing the deferral of a package of amendments to the Special Management Area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

An audit of the state-owned Honokowai Kauhale affordable housing project on Maui found residents living in “substandard conditions” and “an atmosphere of intimidation and fear," according to state records released today. Hawaii Reporter.

Kauai

A Hanalei man with a little more than four years left to go on his five-year probation sentence was in court Tuesday to request that the terms of his probation be modified for medical marijuana use. Garden Island.


Molokai

American Safari Cruises has postponed its scheduled trips to Molokai today and Saturday after facing opposition from some residents who fear the tours could diminish fish stocks and wild game. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii could see military beef up for Korean crisis, UH seeks $100 million, protestor acquitted in Capitol protest, shoppin til they drop, radio personality Krash Kealoha dies, Maui homeowners appeal property assessments, more Hawaii news

The University of Hawaii is asking the Legislature for the authority to issue an additional $100 million in construction bonds to be repaid with UH funds, including student tuition. Star-Advertiser.

North Korea warned Friday that U.S.-South Korean plans for military maneuvers put the peninsula on the brink of war, and appeared to launch its own artillery drills within sight of an island it showered with a deadly barrage this week. Associated Press.

Hawaii public schools are using a new computerized system this year to track student progress so they can catch struggling learners before they fall too far behind. Star-Advertiser.

The head of Hawaii Citizens for the Separation of State and Church has been acquitted of a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his arrest while objecting a prayer being said at the beginning of a state Senate session in April. Hawaii News Now.

The University of Hawaii will pay $800,000 to settle a former employee’s claims that she was fired for whistle-blowing. Hawaii Reporter.

The Public Utilities Commission is in no rush to honor a request by the Hawaii County Council to reconsider its decision allowing Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines to ply the islands' waters. Tribune-Herald.

The rubber hit the road this Thanksgiving day. The Salvation Army and other outreach organizations delivered thousands of meals to the needy across the state. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii shoppers traded home-cooked turkey and traditional family gatherings on Thanksgiving to stand in line for hours at stores around Oahu to snatch up holiday gifts at bargain-basement prices. Star-Advertiser.

On Thanksgiving, serious shoppers put traditions aside.  That means instead of Turkey and stuffing the choice is tent or picnic chair. KHON2.

This Thanksgiving, with 15 stores and restaurants open for business, there were crowds at Ala Moana Shopping Center. KITV4.

With the holiday season here, those who enforce drunken driving laws and those who pick up the pieces after traffic crashes are stressing the prevention of needless injuries and deaths from alcohol-related collisions. Tribune-Herald.

Bell ringers for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign are aiming to raise $155,000 between now and Christmas Eve. Maui News.

The Nature Conservancy's Molokai office will be running its lights, air conditions and electronics on the power of the sun. Associated Press.

New, interim quarantine rules approved by the Hawaii Board of Agriculture Tuesday are getting a thumbs up from some of the state's largest coffee processors, but some Big Island farmers are upset about the process and are hoping the state's new governor will intervene. West Hawaii Today.

Thousands of Maui property owners are appealing their property taxes, leaving the county unable to use $28 million in tax revenue it has collected. Associated Press.

At least eight massage parlors in Honolulu have no record of a license to practice, as is required by law, Civil Beat has found. Civil Beat.

The estimated cost of the South Kona Police Station has more than doubled, leading to doubts the project can be completed as quickly as planned. West Hawaii Today.

Officials at Kamehameha Schools have proposed buying a parcel of city land in Haleiwa that a local businessman wants to build a hotel on. Associated Press.

Hawaiian radio pioneer and personality Krash Kealoha has died at the age of 61. KHON2.

Blessed with some of the purest seawater in the world and sunny growing conditions, the owners of the Kekaha shrimp farm have big plans for their small operation. Garden Island.

There is a traditional Molokai chant that tells of a prophecy made by the kahuna of Paku`i: After the ali`i have fallen, the common people will come together and hold Hawaii up. Molokai Dispatch.

Hawaii peace activist captured by Israelis, Lingle not ready to decide on civil unions, only 26 Advertiser editorial employees picked up by Star-Bulletin, Kauai considers eminent domain to get beach access, crowd seeks open city council seat, more top state news

Dozens of hotel workers turned out for a hearing to discuss the future of a redevelopment project in Waikiki.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday said she would likely take the full amount of time she has available to consider whether to sign, veto or allow a civil-unions bill to become law without her signature.

Honolulu peace activist Ann Wright was one of about 700 people taken into custody by Israeli defense forces after a raid on a flotilla of boats carrying aid to Gaza left nine people dead, friends of Wright's confirmed.

A Honolulu woman was among seven hundred activists taken into Israeli custody after soldiers raided a flotilla carrying relief supplies to Gaza.

Hawaii's primary election is more than three months away but The Outdoor Circle, a leading civic group, said Tuesday it's already receiving complaints about political signs that are too big and up too soon.

Ed Case says he will not run for any other political office this year.

Count a former police chief and three former state lawmakers among the 27 East Honolulu residents interested in filling the temporary vacancy in the City Council District 4 seat created by Charles Djou's election to Congress.

Only 26 editorial employees from the Honolulu Advertiser will be hired by the new Star-Advertiser. That will leave about 100 workers at the Advertiser without jobs.

When the Kaua‘i County Council disclosed recently that a portion of Waipouli would be acquired through eminent domain, or the county acquiring property needed for the path either through friendly or unfriendly acquisition actions, the reaction was instantaneous.

State agricultural officials will accompany Gov. Linda Lingle on her two-week trip to Asia to sign an agreement with the Chinese government to develop procedures for exporting Hawaii agricultural products to China.

Kaua‘i Fire Department and state Airport Crash Fire firefighters spent several hours the afternoon and evening of Memorial Day battling a pesky brush fire near Lihu‘e Airport.

A fledgling nonprofit has set a goal to establish a charter school in Keanae.

Kulani Correctional Facility (KCF) on the Big Island, which was closed last year for financial reasons, specialized in just the sort of rehabilitative services that Bronson Nunuha and others weren’t receiving at Arizona’s Saguaro Prison.

He's been a farmer for 10 years now, but Al Santoro sometimes still sounds like a naval intelligence analyst.

Unity in remembrance was a theme of Monday's Memorial Day ceremony at the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery.

It is a moment both to prevention and preparation and, significantly, to perpetually honor island veterans.

Three bids for Star-Bulletin, furlough opponents defeated, Merrie Monarch kicks off , woman sues judicial assistant, tsunami zones studied, more

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed a ruling that shields Hawai'i's teacher furlough program from a federal legal challenge by a group of special-education students and their parents.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals Monday upheld Hawaii's public school furlough program against a legal challenge from eight special education students and their parents.

Three bids to buy the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, including one that does not include assets listed in the sales offering, are being reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department and the state attorney general's office.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and her top supporter, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, are rejecting Washington rumors that Democrats are trying to get Hanabusa out of the special congressional election.

Inouye told KITV4 he is not concerned about a congressional newspaper report that U.S. House Democrats are considering throwing their support behind democrat Ed Case.

Child welfare advocates are rallying to save the remnants of Healthy Start, a nationally recognized child-abuse prevention program whose state funding shrank from $15 million two years ago to $1.3 million this fiscal year and which is now in danger of being eliminated altogether.

While the Lingle administration continues to study the impact of the new federal health care reform law on Hawaii's landmark Prepaid Health Care Act, key state lawmakers say they do not believe it will negatively affect island residents.

A current state court judge’s assistant at the Lihu‘e courthouse has in a lawsuit accused a former supervisor of sexual harassment, retaliation, defamation, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and damage to her marriage.

George Na'ope was a hula master like no other and a colorful figure whose small shadow looms large this week over the Merrie Monarch Festival he co-founded.

Hundreds of homes and businesses in areas long believed to be safe from a tsunami could be added to O'ahu's evacuation map in light of new research.

The committee drafting a new platform for the state Republican Party has dropped language that some interpreted as support for federal legislation to establish a governing entity for native Hawaiians.

Japan resident Kanayo Miyagawa pulled out her camera and asked friend, Taeko, to pose in front of Scandinavian Shave Ice in Kailua-Kona.

A local doctor and his mentor are at the heart of a Maui Memorial Medical Center pilot project that treats irregular heartbeats and reduces the risk of stroke.

High winds and surf forecast for all islands, state Senate budget grabs hotel tax, closes prison, half of Big Island babies exposed to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, senator and reporter bidding on newspaper, more

A high-wind advisory remains in effect for all islands until 6 tomorrow night.

The state's budget crisis continues to echo through the Capitol as the Senate prepares a budget that moves inmates to the mainland by closing a prison module, cuts the work year for school principals, and even includes a 3 percent pay cut for lawmakers, judges and state executives.

The state Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday produced its draft of the state budget, avoiding a broad-based tax increase but scooping hotel-room taxes from the counties to help close the state's $1.2 billion deficit.

The state Department of Human Services will lay off nearly half of its 517 workers who process applications for government benefits and will shut down 31 eligibility offices statewide under a cost-cutting plan set to go into effect June 30.

A modernization and consolidation plan for some operations within the Department of Human Services would expand benefits for the needy and save the state about $8 million a year, the Lingle administration says.

Cockfighting is illegal, but that didn't stop Hawaii lawmakers from advancing a resolution yesterday recognizing its cultural value.

State Sen. Sam Slom, president and executive director of Smart Business Hawaii, and Malia Zimmerman, co-founder of online news journal Hawaii Reporter, have expressed an 11th-hour interest in purchasing the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Data for pregnant women on the Big Island suggest about half of the island's 37,892 children under age 18 were exposed before birth to alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use, researchers report.

The fourth installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" doesn't begin filming until this summer, but they're already looking for extras. There will be two casting calls held in Oahu & Kauai

Local songwriter Roslyn Catracchia is asking the public to help in getting back her life’s work. Burglars broke into Catracchia’s home in Aina Haina Sunday, and stole computers that contained 20 years of her work.

Forced to make difficult budget decisions due to a dramatic drop in tax revenue collections, Mayor Charmaine Tavares has proposed to eliminate Maui County's only helicopter ambulance service, her staff said.

Keauhou Beach Resort's 40th anniversary celebration Sunday summoned memories for former employee Elaine Watai, of Kailua-Kona, who shared stories and old photographs of the hotel in its heyday.

Kaua‘i Island School’s robot won’t be coming home just yet.

Undersea cable to link four of eight major Hawaiian Islands, Kaloko Dam case settled, more news

The state said yesterday its seeking bids from companies to conduct an environmental impact statement for an undersea power cable that would connect the islands of Lāna'i, Moloka'i, O'ahu, and Maui.

A global settlement of multiple Kaloko Dam lawsuits was announced yesterday in Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe's courtroom.

Good-faith settlements have been reached and approved in state court in various wrongful-death and property-damage cases regarding the March 2006 breach of Ka Loko Reservoir Dam near Kilauea.

The governor and some legislative leaders and parents are searching for other solutions including urging teachers to reopen their contract negotiations to come up with something less stressful on students.

While the expected December groundbreaking for the city's $5.3 billion rail transit project is being pushed back by a month, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann says he does not see it as a setback.

An alternative rail plan for Honolulu that promises to save taxpayers an estimated $1.7 billion in cost, shave 1.5 years off construction time–and, last but not least, promises to spare the heart of the city the monstrous effects of overhead concrete rail lines and stations–has been outlined in a July 15 report commissioned by Kamehameha Schools, owner of extensive real estate along the proposed train’s route.

Central Pacific Financial Corp., expecting enforcement action to be levied against it by federal and state regulators, staggered to a $183.1 million loss in the third quarter as it took two big charges tied to the bank's exposure to the struggling California and Hawaii commercial real estate markets.

Hawaii residents still taking trips to the Ninth Island but not spending as much

More than 1,000 Hawaii County employees have agreed to unpaid furloughs next year and possibly this year as well.

A nonprofit think tank is recommending Hawaii County take its agricultural base seriously by elevating an agriculture director to a Cabinet-level position and adding staff.

The name of the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort could turn out to have been prophetic because Kobayashi Group LLC wants to bring the hotel, closed since September 2007, back to life.

Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd has a little problem with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands.

Flu shots launched, parents fight furloughs, chill at the beach, environmentally friendly takeout

When the weekend comes around, island families choose a variety of activities to reconnect with each other and recharge their batteries. But most seem to head for the outdoors, taking advantage of the island's natural beauty.

Residents and visitors alike said they are troubled Tuesday by the news that several hotel employees did nothing to help when they saw a couple struggling near the area where a woman's body was later discovered.

The number of interisland airlines is shrinking again, with an agreement announced yesterday between the parent companies of go! and Mokulele Airlines to consolidate the two carriers.

It won't be a long move in terms of distance — a journey of just about two miles — but the USS Missouri's trip this morning from historic Battleship Row to Pearl Harbor's Naval Shipyard for drydock repairs has been more than two years in the planning.

The state's decision to save money by shutting down Hawaii's public schools for 17 Fridays this year has angered parents so much that they are planning to march on the Capitol next week, and some are considering lawsuits.

State health and education officials on Tuesday launched the annual flu vaccination program at local schools.

The Big Island's largest tax delinquents won't risk losing their lands Thursday when Hawaii County attempts to sell dozens of properties to collect much smaller debts.

This weekend, Hawaii Island residents will have a chance to venerate a relic at several West Hawaii Catholic churches.

After eight years of violating safe drinking water standards, the Pahala water system is now up to par.

Would customers pay an extra 15 or 25 cents to eat plate lunch out of an environmentally friendly plastic clamshell?

Almost two years after originally granting approval for Joseph Brescia to construct a controversial single-family home at Naue, the Kaua‘i Planning Commission on Tuesday set a January hearing date to determine if the terms of that permit have been followed.

Honolulu welcomes lingerie choices, Hilo Hattie emerging from Chpt. 11, shipping costs come down

People identified as most vulnerable to the H1N1 flu, or swine flu, will find out soon when, where and how they can get vaccinated, state health officials say.

Pomare Ltd. dba Hilo Hattie expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Donald B.S. Kang.

About 600 people lined up for the grand opening of the first Victoria's Secret in Hawaii on Thursday.

As a result of recent declines in bunker fuel prices, Matson announced today that it is decreasing its fuel surcharge by four percentage points, from 28 to 24% for its Hawaii service, and from 29.5 to 25.5% for its Guam/CNMI and Micronesia service, effective October 4.

A Kaua‘i judge has ordered a contractor to provide 2,200 cubic yards of rock for a breach in historic Hapa Trail in Po‘ipu.

Whether you're stuck in traffic on the H-1 Freeway, or waiting in line at the grocery store, it's easy to get bogged down with life. But there's a place on the leeward coast that gets down to the basics and teaches people how to live off the 'aina.

Puna residents peppered Mayor Billy Kenoi and his Cabinet with questions Wednesday night in a wide-ranging "talk story" session.

Thanks to the rapid response and generous support of library users across the state, a portion of the donations to the "Keep Your Library Open!" campaign will be used to keep Mountain View Public and School Library open during October.

When incarceration and fines aren't the answer, judges can offer convicted offenders the chance to right their wrongs by making nonmonetary restitution through court-ordered community service.

The Maui Planning Commission voted this week to recommend a long-range plan that would set aside more than 3,000 acres for new development over the next 20 years.