RIMPAC war games start this week, Sierra Club endorses Ige, vaping cannabis coming, $44M bonds for Honolulu rail, volcano just won't stop, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson departs San Diego in preparation for the ship’s participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2018. PC: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Z.A. Landers

Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime exercise coming to Hawaii, along with participants from 26 nations. The world's largest international maritime exercise kicks off this week, and large vessels will be sailing to Oahu as soon as Monday. Hawaii News Now.

The Sierra Club of Hawaii on Sunday endorsed Gov. David Ige for a second term during a sign- waving event at the state Capitol. Star-Advertiser.

The Sierra Club of Hawaii announced Sunday their endorsement of Governor David Ige for a second term. KHON2.

The Sierra Club of Hawaii announced it's endorsing Governor David Ige for re-election. KITV.
Marijuana dispensaries are preparing to sell cannabis oil cartridges starting next week so that patients can legally take the drug through vaping. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Campaign violations dim Kaniela Ing’s once-bright future. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Caldwell Wants To Sell $44 Million In City Bonds For Rail. The Honolulu mayor said there’s a tight time line to gain council approval and start funneling city money to the project’s construction. Civil Beat.

A $1 billion radar to track what are expected to be increasingly complex ballistic and hypersonic missile threats to Hawaii may be positioned high on Kaena Point, prompting questions about its visual impact and access to hiking trails. Star-Advertiser.

Retired General’s New Mission: Prepare Central Oahu For Disaster. Braden Sakai thinks it’s time for Mililani to catch up with other communities that have emergency plans. Civil Beat.

Department of Parks requests to hire temporary grounds keepers to help maintain city parks. KHON2.

A proposal for two more 400-foot-tall buildings next to the Pacific Guardian Tower at Kapiolani Boulevard and Keeaumoku Street is the latest project in the area to seek approval from the Honolulu City Council to build higher than currently allowed. Star-Advertiser.

Civil War guns spark Hawaii classroom conflict. Mililani Middle School teacher Garret Ogata likes to make history feel real, so when he covers the American Civil War, he shares relics dating from that conflict: letters penned by soldiers on the battlefield, photographs, even antique firearms. Star-Advertiser.

‘Slap On The Wrist’ For The Diamond Head Hawker. Park officials said the small fine is still a good step because it means prosecutors are taking illegal park activities seriously. Civil Beat.

Providing homeless people with rides to shelters played a key role in a new effort that got 56 people from Waikiki to Chinatown off of the streets between April 4 and June 13. Star-Advertiser.

Special court helps direct homeless to services rather than jail or fines. Honolulu’s 18-month-old Community Outreach Court — aimed at low-level, nonviolent offenses committed by homeless people — doesn’t have the feel of a typical criminal proceeding. Star-Advertiser.

Why This Highway Plan Is The ‘Holy Grail’ Of Bicycle Safety Projects. Some residents question whether the benefit of wider shoulders between Mililani and Waipio outweighs the loss of a traffic lane. Civil Beat.

Law Enforcement’s Struggle To Help Honolulu’s Mentally Ill. Even with assistance from police psychologists, some emotionally disturbed residents keep officers returning again and again. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

There were two collapse explosions at Kilauea’s summit this weekend that released high energy but very little ash, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Star-Advertiser.

No end in sight: Explosions, eruptions continue rattling the Big Island. Hawaii News Now.

Lava has blocked road access to favorite shoreline sites. Star-Advertiser.

State parks chief: ‘Pele is in control now’. Lava Tree State Monument and MacKenzie State Recreation Area “are closed and will likely remain so for a very long time,” the state parks chief said Sunday. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Eruption – The Tourism Tumult. When 2018 began, Hawaii Island's visitor industry was projecting big numbers. But then in May, everything changed. Big Island Video News.

With lava flows imploding the county budget, there’s a lot to worry about back home. But that hasn’t kept six of the nine County Council members from taking a few days off for the annual Hawaii State Association of Counties conference, held Thursday through Saturday in Waikiki. West Hawaii Today.

Commentary: State leaders should be devising plans now to help volcano-affected businesses recover. Star-Advertiser.

Construction of a permanent federal inspection station at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole is expected to get underway next spring — and for substantially less than anticipated. West Hawaii Today.

Officials to discuss elevated risk cesspools pose, gather community feedback. West Hawaii Today.

An agreement between government agencies and a Hawaii private school system aims to protect and aid the recovery of 32 endangered plant and animal species on the Big Island. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

Maui Panel Discusses Quality of Life Issues Ahead of 2018 Election. Maui Now.

A new senior center and living and rehabilitation facilities could be in the works at the Kahului Community Center Park. Maui News.

Kahului Airport work in progress. Maui News.

Hearings on Young Brothers rate hikes set. The Public Utilities Commission will be holding public meetings next month on Maui, Molokai and Lanai to gather public testimony as it considers its final decision. Maui News.

Six Maui County companies received a share of $930,680 in grants awarded through the Hawaii Technology Development Corp. Manufacturing Assistance Program. Maui News.

Kauai

CCK to host election forums. The Community Coalition Kauai, in co-sponsorship with the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, announces its series of candidate forums that will start Thursday. Garden Island.

Kekaha resident and retired Army Ranger Harold Vidinha is running for Kauai County Council because he said people discuss problems among themselves, but nothing ever happens to bring forth change. Garden Island.

Kauai is expected to approach 70 percent renewable generation by the end of 2019 after receiving approval this week from the state Public Utilities Commission for development of a 19.3-megawatt solar facility along with a 70 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system. Star-Advertiser.

An estimated $6.5 million in Capital Improvement Project funding was authorized by the Hawaii Legislature for fiscal year 2019, including three critical projects on Kauai that will protect approximately 4,000 acres of priority watersheds through fencing. Maui Now.

The Hawaii Technology Development Corporation recently awarded $930,680 in Manufacturing Assistance Program grant funds to 29 Hawaii- based manufacturing companies. Garden Island.

Medical marijuana dispensaries to be cashless, lawsuit over state law requiring abortion counseling, DLNR drops final poison pellets on Lehua, hundreds of new species discovered off Kaneohe Bay, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Discount medical marijuana, courtesy photo

State officials announced Tuesday that Hawaii will be the first state to require marijuana sales to be handled without cash, saying they want to avoid robberies and other crimes targeting dispensaries. Associated Press.

State officials are urging Hawaii dispensaries to use a cashless system for medical marijuana sales to prevent crimes targeting cannabis retailers and their customers. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii is the first state in the nation that plans to implement a cashless payment system for medical cannabis or marijuana. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii will be the first state in the nation to have a cashless medical marijuana dispensary system. Big Island Video News.

The two operating medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii — including one on Maui — and their patients have been operating on a cash-only basis, but a “banking solution” has been forged with a Colorado-based credit union, Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday. Maui News.

Governor David Ige held a press conference today during which he announced a banking breakthrough for Hawaii’s medical cannabis dispensaries.  Gov. Ige announced the nation’s first and only cash-free payment system for medical cannabis. Maui Now.

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The Fight Over Abortion In Hawaii. State attorneys are headed to court to defend a new state law that requires pregnancy clinics to tell women about abortion services. Civil Beat.

Affordable-housing advocates are decrying a state agency’s move to lease its portfolio of six low-cost rental projects, including three high-rises in Kakaako, to a private investor at a time when housing is in extremely short supply for low-income families. Star-Advertiser.

Preschool In Hawaii: Expensive And ‘Ridiculously Hard to Find’. Hawaii lags much of the nation in spending on state-funded preschool. But it is taking new steps to expand access, including opening five new classrooms next year. Civil Beat.

How much does Hawaii’s con air cost? The price of shuttling inmates to and from the mainland. As the debate continues here in Hawaii in regards to if and where to build a new prison, hundreds of Hawaii inmates remain at a facility in Arizona. KHON2.

Longtime Paroles and Pardons Administrator Tommy Johnson has returned to his old job after being temporarily reassigned for nearly six months during an internal investigation by the state Department of Public Safety. Star-Advertiser.

Nearly half of Hawaii could be affected by data breach. The state is currently investigating the massive Equifax data breach that could impact many island residents for months, or even years to come. KITV.

Oahu

More than 100 scientists joined a two-week marine life survey of Kaneohe Bay and discovered hundreds of new species and what appears to be the beginnings of an aggressive algae invasion. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Education did not discriminate against an autistic preschool student who was placed in a specialized chair and fastened with a seat belt during school hours, a federal jury decided Monday. Civil Beat.

This Saturday members of the Honolulu City Council are holding a meeting to hear from you and what you think of a proposal requiring older high-rises to install fire sprinkler systems. KHON2.

Kamaile Academy, a public charter school located on Oahu's Waianae Coast, is expected to save an estimated $1.2 million over the next 20 years after installing a rooftop solar photovoltaic system. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu is using heavy equipment to remove the sand plug at the mouth of Kaelepulu Stream at Kailua Beach Park from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. this week. Star-Advertiser.

A proposed 41-story mixed-use residential building at Makaloa and Keeaumoku streets is the latest Ala Moana-area project to seek approval from the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

DOT says contractor will fix problems after reports of steel plates damaging cars. KHON2.

Lawyers representing Gary Galiher’s estate and former employees and associates of Galiher DeRobertis Waxman have reached a settlement in their dispute over the Galiher law corporation’s client files, trade secrets and intellectual property. Star-Advertiser.

What started two years ago as an offshoot at the Cheeseburger Waikiki restaurant to brew and serve beer is about to become a major producer and distributor of local canned craft brews. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Big Island DACA recipients worry about future after Trump ends program. Tribune-Herald.

Homeless land deal nearly secure. Hawaii County is closing in on a deal with the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation that would secure 15-20 acres of state-owned land to serve as a permanent relocation site for Kona’s homeless overflow, which worsened after nearly 70 individuals were told to vacate Old Airport Park early last month. West Hawaii Today.

The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank, announced the appointment of Kristin Frost Albrecht as interim executive director, succeeding Executive Director En Young, who recently resigned. Tribune-Herald.

The latest participants in a Mars simulation study on Mauna Loa will end eight months of isolation Sunday as they venture out of their small dome for the first time without donning spacesuits. Tribune-Herald.

Maui


The Maui County Liquor Control Commission is poised to address several hot-button issues today, including streamlining single-event liquor license applications for nonprofits and conducting its first review and evaluation of Liquor Director Glenn Mukai. Maui News.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the historic flood at Iao Valley.  Officials say it cost Maui County $2 million to clean out the debris basin and to make repairs to the flood control area last year. Maui Now.

It’s been exactly one year since major flooding ravaged Iao Valley State Monument on Maui, and crews are still working on completing repairs. Hawaii News Now.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources hopes to restore restrooms — which have been closed for nearly a decade — at Iao Valley State Monument, officials said Tuesday at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku. Maui News.

Kauai

The state has completed its final round of rat-killing pellet bombing at Lehua Island as it awaits test results on what caused the recent deaths of dozens of fish and two birds. Star-Advertiser.

The last aerial drop of rodenticide-laced bait pellets onto Lehua Island was completed Tuesday, and with it the state is hailing a successfully completed operation. Garden Island.

The state is planning upgrades to the drainage system and roadways at Nawiliwili Harbor, and the draft plan is available for public comment. Garden Island.

Molokai

Beginning Sept. 15th, Hawaiian Airlines will temporarily suspend its direct flight from Molokai to Maui while its aircraft undergoes maintenance. The news is leaving some residents on the Friendly Isle on edge. Hawaii News Now.

Jobs, not multimillion-dollar homes — that’s what state Rep. Lynn DeCoite of Molokai wants to see from whomever plans to buy the 55,575 acres up for sale on her home island. Maui News.

Hawaii certifies first medical marijuana lab, old hand picked as new Honolulu transit chief, telescope protest planned for Maui, Kauai police chief wins attorney fees, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Marijuana plant, courtesy Pixabay Commons

The state Department of Health today certified Hawaii’s first marijuana testing laboratory. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii approved its first laboratory to begin testing samples of medical marijuana 17 years after use of the drug was legalized in the state. Associated Press.

Dispensaries Closer To Opening As State Certifies First Cannabis-Testing Lab. A Honolulu laboratory can begin testing the products that will be sold to medical marijuana patients. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Department of Health on Monday granted Steep Hill Hawaii a provisional certification to begin testing medical cannabis from the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries and registered patients and caregivers. Pacific Business News.

The state Department of Health on Monday approved its first laboratory to begin testing medical marijuana, putting Hawaii’s dispensaries one step closer to being able to open. Tribune-Herald.

A private laboratory on Oahu has been certified by the state Department of Health to begin testing medical cannabis products, a long-awaited next step that brings Hawaii's eight dispensaries closer to completing their first sales, which could be as early as mid-August. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu lab first to conduct medical cannabis testing for Hawaii dispensaries. KITV.

The Hawaii Department of Health granted Steep Hill Hawaii, a private independent laboratory on Oahu, a provisional certification Monday after the laboratory passed and met requirements that demonstrate it has the capacity and proficiency to test cannabis and manufactured cannabis in compliance with state law. Maui Now.

Political candidates contemplating running for elected office in 2018 will be allowed to file nomination papers in 6 months. The Republican Party of Hawaii hopes to is resolve ongoing internal issues by then. Hawaii Public Radio.

Christina Kishimoto begins her new job leading Hawaii public schools today, ahead of Monday’s start of the 2017-18 school year. Star-Advertiser.

Public school students head back to class in a week, but the Department of Education says if it doesn’t find more bus drivers before then, there could be issues. KHON2.

Black people have a long history in Hawaii dating back to the 19th century. The state’s more than 21,000 blacks make up a little over 3 percent of the population. That compares to a national average of 13 percent and ranks Hawaii 39th among all state in the percentage of its population that is black. Hawaii Public Radio.

Matson Inc. sailed over a shallow trough of lower Hawaii cargo shipments to produce a 33 percent profit gain in the second quarter largely driven by enhanced business in China and Alaska. Star-Advertiser.

Mary Ann Barnes, who started as an intensive care unit nurse on the night shift with Kaiser Permanente in San Diego and rose through the ranks in a 43-year career to become president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Hawaii Region, will retire in September. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has selected Andrew Robbins as the next, permanent executive director to lead the island’s financially challenged rail transit project. Star-Advertiser.

HART Board Chooses A New Executive Director. Andrew Robbins will take over as the city and state struggle to fully fund the 20-mile project, which has an estimated $3 billion shortfall. Civil Beat.

Oahu's beleaguered rail project has a new head. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has named Andrew “Andy” Robbins as its new executive director Monday morning. KHON2.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board on Monday voted to hire Andrew Robbins, an executive with Bombardier Transportation, to oversee the construction of Honolulu’s $10 billion rail transit project. Pacific Business News.

Andrew Robbins was a key member of the Oahu Transit Group that was working on the city’s rail project in the 1990s when it was killed by a Honolulu City Council vote, an outcome he called “a huge disappointment.” Star-Advertiser.

Scrutiny of Oahu company grows after it's tied to 2 recent plane crashes. Hawaii News Now.

How A Diamond Head Pitchman Eludes A Crackdown. The state says to compete with illegal sales of “I Climbed Diamond Head” certificates, it will sell its own souvenirs at the summit. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi says she’s been receiving complaints about homeless setting up camp along streams in her district. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

A switch to cost-saving LED streetlights has saved Hawaii County enough money to pay for upgrades to traffic signals islandwide. Tribune-Herald.

Waiaha Deepwell’s return to service derailed by malfunction, cable break. West Hawaii Today.

Auto thefts have long been a concern on the Big Island. As of late, however, court documents describing some of these crimes have narratives that seem to be lifted from the script of a made-for-TV movie. Tribune-Herald.

Gov. David Ige has received a list of nominees from the Judicial Selection Commission for the vacancies created by the retirement of former Big Island circuitjudges Glenn S. Hara and Ronald Ibarra. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Health System, the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii entity that took over operation of three state-owned hospitals in Maui County earlier this month, has named Michael Rembis CEO and hospital administrator. Pacific Business News.

Just a month after Maui Health System assumed operations at Maui County hospitals, the Kaiser affiliate and its parent company have announced changes in top leadership. Maui News.

A peaceful protest of a slow-moving wide load of telescope parts for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope atop Haleakala is planned at King Kekaulike High School in Pukalani tonight and into Wednesday. Maui News.

Sovereignty Restoration Day marked with kalo-pounding event. Maui News.

After more than a century, taro is now once again growing in Kahoma Valley on Maui. Hawaii News Now.

Hokulea Coming to Honolua, Aug. 19. Maui Now.

Kauai

Darryl Perry, chief of the Kauai Police Department, was recently reimbursed over $12,000 for attorney fees after he filed a complaint against the county. Garden Island.

A survey for the Kauai Bus Short-Range Transit Plan will be open until Sept. 4. Garden Island.

Local divers are hosting a public meeting to discuss the preservation of Kauai’s popular dive sites at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Lihue Public Library. Garden Island.

Hawaii considers marijuana stamps

HONOLULU -- Talk about your green stamps.

The Hawaii House today advanced a bill that would issue cannabis distribution stamps to participants in the state’s medical marijuana program.

Hawaii has had a medical marijuana program since 2000, allowing doctors to write a pot prescription for everything from glaucoma to AIDS to cancer. The law allows patients with prescriptions to grow what is known in state law as an “adequate supply.”

That’s further defined as “an amount of marijuana jointly possessed between the qualifying patient and the primary caregiver that is not more than is reasonably necessary to assure the uninterrupted availability of marijuana for the purpose of alleviating the symptoms or effects of a qualifying patient's debilitating medical condition; provided that an "adequate supply" shall not exceed three mature marijuana plants, four immature marijuana plants, and one ounce of usable marijuana per each mature plant.”

The problem, unless the patient has the land and the ability to grow his or her own, has been that would-be users must break the law to get their legal supply.

“If a patient is unable to produce enough medicine, they must resort to transacting on the black market, with a variety of inherent risks,” said Big Island proponent Matthew Rifkin in testimony to a House committee.

The Legislative Reference Bureau, in its 2004 publication “In Search Of A Viable Distribution System For Hawaii's Medical Marijuana Program,” recommended the distribution-stamp program.

Under the program, a farmer puts up some land for secure growing facilities and a certified facilitator serves as the go-between from farmer to user. Users are issued stamps at a cost of no more than 50 cents per gram of marijuana.

The bill now moves to two other committees before coming back to the full House for another vote, then on to the Senate. Its chances of passing are pretty good, with only two of the 6 Republicans in the 51-member House voting no.

Law enforcement hopes it can stop the bill before it gets too far.

“The message could be interpreted as the state of Hawaii Legislature legalizing drug trafficking within the state,” said Paul K. Ferreira, acting police chief for the Big Island. “To expand the medical marijuana laws and amend our current statutes from their current restrictions would only assist those individuals now growing marijuana illegally and generating huge profits by allowing them to use the medical marijuana law to aid in avoiding detection.”