Showing posts with label charter amendments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charter amendments. Show all posts

Monday, May 23, 2016

National Park fees increase, Hawaii GOP convention exposes schism over Trump, Honolulu charter amendment could erase neighborhood boards, state and federal lawmakers fight homelessness, Kauai's Rapozo seeks 7th term, unemployment rate drops, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2016 All Hawaii News
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lava glow © 2016 All Hawaii News
Beginning June 1, daily entrance fees at all national parks in Hawaii, including Haleakala National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, will increase. Star-Advertiser.

Flush with an extra $3 million it never requested to address island homelessness, Gov. David Ige’s administration is being pressured to better coordinate the state’s homeless efforts as impatient legislators await progress. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Senate has approved an appropriations bill that includes “additional money for homelessness and affordable housing programs which will help Hawaii, Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement Friday. Civil Beat.

Officials say a staff shortage in the state’s Child Welfare Services agency has resulted in social workers juggling twice as many as cases of child abuse and neglect as they should. Associated Press.

A large banner reading “Defeat Hillary, Vote Trump!” expressed the sentiments of many of the several hundred people who attended Hawaii’s Republican state convention Saturday at the Filipino Community Center’s Casamina Flores Ballroom in Waipahu. But not every local Republican backs the New York businessman-turned-politician, and that led to turmoil when state Rep. Beth Fukumoto Chang took the stage. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers were reluctant again this year to strengthen the state ethics code or to tighten the rules lobbyists must follow. The Hawaii State Ethics Commission tracked more than 16 bills related to ethics and lobbying this past legislative session, which ended May 5. Each and every one died, many without so much as a public hearing. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.2 percent, seasonally adjusted, in April, from 3.8 percent during the same month last year, as the state’s labor force grew to nearly 690,000, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Pacific Business News.

The most ethnically diverse state in the country, Hawaii also has the highest proportion of non-English speakers. Tribune-Herald.

President Barack Obama on Friday joined the chorus of public officials honoring Hawaii Congressman Mark Takai, who announced Thursday he will not seek re-election but instead focus on his battle with cancer. Civil Beat.

The national retail chain Sports Authority has thanked all its loyalty members and said that “it is with great sadness” that it’s closing the program on Wednesday, May 25. KHON2.

Oahu

The Honolulu Charter Commission might ask Oahu voters to consider eliminating neighborhood boards, using the money saved to fund other means of increasing civic participation. Star-Advertiser.

About a month after the Attorney General's office's charities division opened a civil investigation into questionable spending by the Bishop Museum's former CEO, Hawaii  News Now has learned that the AG's office has launched a separate criminal probe. Multiple sources tell us that the museum is cooperating with the criminal investigation and has handed over a number of documents relating to its former president Blair Collis' use of his museum credit card.

Even though the city and state have been teaming up to clear out the persistent Kakaako homeless encampment, one member of the board that oversees the waterfront parks says the population is growing to dangerous levels. Star-Advertiser.

Two lesbians who were arrested by a Honolulu police officer after he saw them hugging and kissing in a North Shore grocery store were recently awarded $80,000 to resolve a lawsuit they filed last October. Civil Beat.

Plans to redevelop a key section of Haleiwa town won approval from the City Council Zoning and Planning Committee on Thursday, despite opposition from the North Shore Outdoor Circle and others worried it might harm an adjacent Hawaiian fishpond. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The telescopes atop Mauna Kea help support a local science and technology industry. But could they also attract more manufacturing jobs? A feasibility study by Hawaii’s High Technology Development Corporation will try to find out. Tribune-Herald.

Not all Native Hawaiians oppose construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea, a group of community leaders said Friday. The group has formed the nonprofit Perpetuating Unique Educational Opportunities Inc. — known by its acronym PUEO, for the endemic owl of Hawaiian myth and legend — and has filed a motion to intervene in the contested case currently underway. West Hawaii Today.

Kalani Flores, an appellant in the Thirty Meter Telescope court case, made his case in opposition to new rules that will regulate cultural practices on Mauna Kea. Big Island Video News.

For several years, a small office in the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has been pursuing a spaceport certification for Kona International Airport, which would make it one of the few hubs for proposed commercial flights into suborbit. Tribune-Herald.

Two firefighters who claim they were stripped of their badges by Fire Chief Darren Rosario for publicly criticizing him are suing the chief and the county. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Island farmers in line for permits to begin experimental industrial hemp production say the crop could be a major boon for agriculture. West Hawaii Today.

Sayonara, Japanese? Despite dramatic decrease of speakers in Hawaii, some vow to keep it alive. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Hawaii’s attorney general has asked a federal appeals court to lift or modify an injunction halting the transfer of three state-owned hospitals in Maui County to private control under Kaiser Permanente, saying the time frame does not allow the state to reverse course and run the facilities as public hospitals. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii's attorney general is asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to lift or change an order issued Tuesday that suspended work to transfer Maui County's three public hospitals from the state to Maui Health Systems, a subsidiary of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. Maui News.

The Maui County Council passed the fiscal year 2017 budget on first reading Friday, with changes that included eliminating biodiesel fuel taxes and reappropriating housing funds originally targeted for photovoltaic systems. Maui News.

Hawaiian Homes broke ground to celebrate the beginning of construction for the first phase of the Keokea-Waiohuli subdivision in Kula on Thursday. The subdivision will be the future home for 46 Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries and their families. Hawaii News Now.

"The Last Harvest" is a series chronicling the various aspects of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.'s final harvest as it shuts down at the end of the year after a 145-year run. The shutdown of HC&S represents the end of sugar in Hawaii. The installments will run periodically throughout the year. Maui News.

Kauai

Keeping the administration in check, maintaining the budget and fighting for the safety of hard-working families is what Mel Rapozo wants do to if elected to a new term on the Kauai County Council. Garden Island.

Over the decades, Mother Nature has been pretty tenacious about breaking down the three bridges that cross Wainiha Stream on Kuhio Highway. Once again, there’s talk about replacing them. Garden Island.

Construction of a beachfront timeshare slated to be built on the Eastside is expected to begin in the fall.Coconut Beach Resort, owned by Symmetry Property Development and SPD II Makaiwa Development Resort Development LLC, will begin construction of its 330-unit resort in the Coconut Plantation Resort Area in Kapaa in September. Garden Island.

Dozens of people waved signs along Kuhio Highway in Kapaa Saturday, supporting organic farming and condemning genetically engineered food. The rally was part of the global March Against Monsanto event. Garden Island.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Federal court temporarily halts hospital privatization, Native Hawaiians want more cultural tourism, lone Republican Slom to seek another Senate term, Hawaiian Airlines pilots threaten strike, new civil defense chief for Hawaii County, missile test successful off Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2016 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Native Hawaiian tourism © 2016 All Hawaii News
Tourism is Hawaii’s largest industry, but Pohai Ryan, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, fears only half of those employed in the industry are sufficiently versed in Hawaiian culture. Pacific Business News.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday temporarily blocked Gov. David Ige’s plans to turn over three state-run hospitals on Maui and Lanai to Kaiser Permanente, a decision that effectively stalls the largest privatization initiative in state history. Star-Advertiser.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered the state to hold off on its plans to privatize three public hospitals on Maui until Sept. 30 unless a judge terminates the injunction sooner. Civil Beat.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order Tuesday temporarily blocking the July 1 transition of three Hawaii state-owned hospitals on Maui and Lanai to Kaiser Permanente until the end of September. Pacific Business News.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals entered an order on Tuesday temporarily stopping activities related to the transition of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital & Clinic, and Lanai Community Hospital to a private operator. KITV4.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily suspended the transfer of the state-run medical system to a private health provider, pending the submission of a status report. Star-Advertiser.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals entered an order temporarily stopping activities related to the transition of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital & Clinic, and Lānaʻi Community Hospital to a private operator. Maui Now.

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Hawaii Keeps Secret What Happens In Its Private Prison. Even when prisoners are murdered, state officials and their private contractor shield themselves from the public eye. Civil Beat.

Sam Slom, the Hawaii Senate’s sole Republican, announced Tuesday that he is seeking another four-year term this fall. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines pilots have voted to allow their union representatives to call for a strike if contract talks don’t end in a new collective bargaining agreement. Associated Press.

Hawaiian Airlines pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International voted today to authorize their elected union representatives to conduct a lawful withdrawal of service if contract talks do not result in a new collective bargaining agreement.  Maui Now.

The Pentagon agency that recovers missing American war dead said it is proceeding at a record pace with about 100 identifications made nearly eight months into the fiscal year. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Whether it involves advocating for repeal of the federal Jones Act on maritime law, opposing tax increases at the Hawaii Legislature or litigating against Native Hawaiian self governance, Kelii Akina, the president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, is a familiar figure in print, online and on air. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Two sisters who are principal and vice principal of the Myron B. Thompson Academy state charter school and have been under investigation by the state attorney general for more than two years turned themselves in to state sheriff deputies today. Star-Advertiser.

Twelve Moanalua High School seniors will be banned from taking part in the school’s graduation ceremony on Friday after the campus was vandalized overnight Monday. Star-Advertiser.

As enrollment continues to climb at the two high schools serving Ewa Beach and Kapolei in West Oahu, the Department of Education says its immediate priority is to expand existing facilities over building a new campus to relieve crowding. Star-Advertiser.

While Waipahu has seen significant growth and change over the decades, one constant remains in the former plantation town: the sugar mill’s 175-foot smokestack, a symbol of the once-thriving sugar cane industry. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Civil Beat won two first-place awards in the 2016 Best of the West journalism contest for its special series, The Micronesians.

Hawaii

Ed Teixeira, former Hawaii State Civil Defense vice director, is now directing the emergency management operations of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency as interim administrator. West Hawaii Today.

Another two years for County Council members, a larger Board of Ethics and an expanded scope for the general plan are among changes to the county charter considered Tuesday by the County Council. West Hawaii Today.

The Banyan Drive Hawai‘i Redevelopment Agency now has a board of directors. The Hawaii County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the five nominees. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Council wants the governor to declare a state of emergency, as the tree-killing fungus rapid ohia death continues to spread across Big Island native forests. Big Island Video News.

Maui

The state’s lone sugar plantation — in the midst of its 144th and final harvesting season on Maui — will be subject to new restrictions on cane burning under a legal settlement announced Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

The owners of Hawaii's last sugar plantation have agreed to cut back on burning cane, ending a lawsuit challenging the practice. Hawaii News Now.

Makila Land Co. has withdrawn its proposal for a rural community in Launiupoko that would have included up to 75 single-family affordable units in addition to 150 rural-residential lots. Maui News.

Though the filing deadline for the Maui County candidates in the 2016 election is still a couple weeks away (June 7), a few races already loom large on the political radar. There are a lot of candidates out there and a ton of issues. But the Kula Community Association wants to help you this Wednesday, May 18 with a candidate forum. MauiTime.

Kauai

The signs posted Tuesday by Friends of Mahaulepu warning the public of water contamination in the Waiopili Stream were yanked out of their cement before it could fully dry, but Bridgette Hammerquist, president of the organization, said that won’t slow their roll. Garden Island.

A missile launch test was successfully conducted on Kauai late Tuesday, the Missile Defense Agency said. Hawaii News Now.

Carol Bain, who was recently elected to her fourth three-year term on the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s board of directors, has died, the utility co-op said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Carol Bain: A woman of vision. KIUC board member, former KCC professor, community advocate, will be missed. Garden Island.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Lava buries cemetery, Ige tops in latest poll, Maui GMO a big ballot issue, constitutional amendments galore, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy Hawaii County Civil Defense
Lava buries Puna cemetery courtesy Hawaii County Civil Defense
Hawaii County Civil Defense closed Pahoa Village Road as a fast-moving finger of lava moved to within 600 yards of the main street of Pahoa town. Residents in the immediate downslope path of the lava were also urged to prepare to evacuate Sunday night and the Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at the Sure Foundation Church in Keaau. Star-Advertiser.

Evacuations have not been ordered, but Red Cross Hawai'i opened an emergency shelter Sunday night at the Sure Foundation Puna in preparation for residents who may be displaced by the Puna lava flow. Hawaii News Now.

A small, primarily Buddhist cemetery in Pahoa fell victim to advancing lava on Sunday, marking yet another sobering milestone in the ongoing June 27 flow. Tribune-Herald.

Civil Beat Poll: Ige Up by 6 Over Aiona. The Democratic nominee for Hawaii governor leads Republican Duke Aiona 40 percent to 34 percent. Hawaii Independent Party candidate Mufi Hannemann is at 11 percent. Libertarian Jeff Davis is at 6 percent while 8 percent of voters are undecided.

Approval of a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would allow the state to spend public funds on private preschool programs is uncertain as support for the initiative continues to wane and opposition has mounted in recent months, according to new Hawaii Poll results. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s constitution allows for age discrimination against judges, say proponents of a constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices from 70 to 80. West Hawaii Today.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has brought back an attempt to allow private landowners to access special purpose revenue bonds to finance the preservation of reservoirs and dams. A similar measure failed on the 2012 ballot. West Hawaii Today.

Before stepping into the voting booth or casting a mail-in ballot, voters may want to familiarize themselves with the following five proposed statewide constitutional amendments on the ballot. Star-Advertiser.

Which Hawaii Candidate Spent the Most Money Per Vote? The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission has crunched the numbers and it's an interesting look at how the 2014 election is playing out. Civil Beat.

Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle spoke to Cornell University students and faculty on Thursday in a presentation that recounted her vision for a sustainable energy future and her role in implementing the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. Civil Beat.

A battle continues to brew between the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and historic preservation officials in the state over a law that subjects homes built more than 50 years ago to a historic preservation review whenever a homeowner applies for a building permit for a rebuild or remodel. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

New Hope’s Evangelism Has a Distinctly Political Flavor. The megachurch is becoming a force to be reckoned with in Hawaii civic affairs. It recruits candidates, registers new voters and organizes political events. Civil Beat.

Lifeguard beaned by falling coconut. Haunama Bay was closed for several hours Sunday morning for emergency tree trimming. A county lifeguard claims the work should have been done weeks ago and he was injured because of the delay. KITV4.

There’s a new twist in criminal case against Matson Navigation Company for the Sept. 2013, 220,000 gallon molasses spill into Honolulu Harbor that killed 26,000 fish and caused substantial damage to the area reefs and ocean.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Puglisi did not accept all of the terms of its plea agreement Friday, saying he isn’t certain whether the donations are legal. Puglisi will look into the matter further, he said. Hawaii Reporter.

A federal judge accepted a guilty plea by Matson Inc. to criminal charges stemming from the spill last year of more than 230,000 gallons of molasses in Honolulu Harbor, but expressed concerns that the company agreed to make a $600,000 community service payment but didn't agree to any probation. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

The timeframe to resume the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project is back in federal hands. State Department of Transportation officials confirmed this week they submitted the Section 106 memorandum of agreement to the Federal Highways Administration Sept. 22. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

There's a rising chorus of Hawaii opposition to the biotechnology seed companies that have moved into the state's former sugar cane lands and have quietly become the state's top agricultural industry. A Nov. 4 ballot measure proposes a moratorium that would make it illegal to cultivate, grow or test genetically modified crops in Maui County until environmental and public health studies show their practices are safe. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of Maui mothers are going door-to-door to urge voters to back a ban on the cultivation of genetically engineered crops because they think they are unsafe. A group backed by companies growing the crops counters with ads playing heavily on the airwaves that urge rejection of what they are calling the “farming ban.” Associated Press.

It’s a controversial issue Maui County voters will see on the Nov. 4 ballot. They’re being asked whether to approve an initiative that would make it against the law to grow, reproduce, or test genetically modified crops until an environmental public health study is completed. KHON2.

In the hotly contested race for the Maui County Council's Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat, challenger Mike Molina is attempting to turn the tables on incumbent Mike White on the charge of being a "rubber stamp." Maui News.

The decline in fall enrollment at University of Hawaii Maui College from its Great Recession peak of 4,527 students in 2011 continued this year, with student numbers dipping below 4,000 for the first time since 2008. Maui News.

Kauai
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday unanimously approved Hawaii’s first community based fisheries subsistence area rule package for Haena on the island of Kauai. Associated Press.

As a longtime County of Kauai department manager and the current mayor, Bernard Carvalho Jr. said he is not afraid to make tough decisions. Garden Island.

County officials are reminding the public that the deadline to submit applications for the waiting list lottery for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is Wednesday. The waiting list will be utilized to fill vacancies in the federally funded program. Garden Island.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Saving Hawaii's native duck, HECO denies buyout rumors, Abercrombie and Ige set debate, USEEOC: Kauai police discriminated, Honolulu Council approves $2.14B budget, new corp counsel on Hawaii Island, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Koloa maoli duck pair on Hawaii Island © 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
State, federal and University of Hawaii wildlife experts are undertaking a yearlong campaign aimed at ensuring the survival of the Hawaiian duck, or koloa. The chocolate brown koloa maoli is an endangered species largely due to its cross-breeding with the introduced common mallard duck. Star-Advertiser.

The native Hawaiian duck, koloa maoli, is being pushed out of existence. The population of the duck has been declining for years, and experts said they believe only about 2,500 are left in the wild. KITV4.

Even wildlife biologists have a tough time telling the difference between the endangered koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck) and the common mallard. Cross-breeding or hybridization between the two species is the primary reason the endemic koloa is endangered. West Hawaii Today.

Two Democratic candidates for Hawaii governor plan to debate later this month at the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce. The chamber said Wednesday that incumbent Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state Sen. David Ige would be featured at a lunchtime forum at the Japanese Cultural Center June 24. Associated Press.

Hawaiian Electric Industries was never approached by any companies, nor did it receive any offers whatsoever to buy all of its shares, the head of one of the company’s subsidiaries told Pacific Business News on Wednesday, disputing a first-hand report this week to the contrary.

The university's longtime information technology chief says he's open to the possibility of dialing back scheduled tuition increases, but recognizes that many of the goals laid out in an agenda set by the Board of Regents come with a hefty price tag. Star-Advertiser.

August 9 is primary election day in Hawaii, so televised political debates will begin very soon. If the past is any guide, that is not a good thing unless you have an exceptional sense of civic duty, an enormous capacity for boredom or your remote is broken. Civil Beat.

The Race for Nationhood. Umi Perkins on what he sees as the race shaping up between Federal recognition and independence. Hawaii Independent.

Despite 88 percent of Hawaii’s public school principals reporting in a recent survey that they are dissatisfied with the leadership of Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, the state Board of Education reappointed her to another three-year contract on Tuesday that goes into effect July 1. Hawaii Reporter.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council has passed a $2.1 billion budget and more than $48 million is going to the homeless. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu City Council voted Wednesday to approve a $2.14 billion operating budget and $708.9 million package that avoids tax rate increases for most residential property owners, a fee for curbside garbage pickup and advertising on the sides of buses but directs $40 million toward homeless shelters and programs. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council has boosted funding to combat homelessness for the 2015 fiscal year to $47.2 million. That marks, council members say, a new high. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu City Council passed the executive spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1st. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Navy said it will fly only two P-8A sub-hunting and surveillance jets out of Kaneohe Bay instead of the 18 it had contemplated at one time — meaning less jet noise for area residents. Star-Advertiser.

When the Honolulu City Council approved a $1.4 million settlement last month in the death of Aaron Torres, it was the largest payout in recent history involving the police department or its officers. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City Council member Carol Fukunaga wants to make sure that there is a mix of incomes among residents in three high-rise buildings in Chinatown that the city wants to sell to a private developer as part of a major public housing deal. Civil Beat.

The developer of the planned 801 South St. Building B condominium tower does not have to seek a new development permit for the project in Kakaako under a court order clarification issued Tuesday, but does have to halt construction. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

An attorney pulled from within the ranks of the Office of Corporation Counsel is now the county’s top civil lawyer, following the County Council’s confirmation Wednesday of Molly Stebbins. West Hawaii Today.

The county clerk would serve for six years, under a charter amendment that squeaked through the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

Hilo Medical Center is cutting staff positions and taking other cost-saving measures as it confronts a $9 million budget shortfall. Tribune-Herald.

Commentary: It looks like Puna Rep. Faye Hanohano has stirred up considerable interest in the Democratic primary race in District 4 in Puna. Hanohano, a Democrat whose controversial comments got her in hot water with her state House colleagues twice in the past 16 months, faces no less than five challengers in her primary. Big Island Now.

The estimated cost of decommissioning for what’s poised to be one of the world’s largest telescopes atop a sacred Hawaii mountain is $17.1 million. Tribune-Herald.

A judge on Wednesday lifted part of a temporary restraining order for construction work at Keauhou Bay, but left the order in place for a later phase of the project. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island veterans had a chance to air long-standing dissatisfaction with the health care they’ve received through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday night with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. West Hawaii Today.

The owners of a 25-acre Pepeekeo site of an electrical power plant under construction are looking to be dismissed from a $35 million mechanic’s lien filed by the former construction contractor. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Neldon Mamuad said he is not an angry man, but he believes he's found an opportunity to deny Mayor Alan Arakawa a third term in office. Maui News.

A Maui property management firm has reached a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over lead-paint disclosure violations. The company, Destination Maui, failed to notify its tenants about the potential hazard. But what’s unusual is the terms they’ve agreed to. Hawaii Public Radio.

The state elections office released an uncertified list of candidates running in the 2014 election after the filing deadline passed on Tuesday afternoon. Maui Now.

Kauai

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has determined the Kauai Police Department retaliated against a veteran police officer after she reported alleged sexual harassment by an assistant chief. Star-Advertiser.

A round of Kauai County furloughs, imposed in response to the lingering economic crisis in 2010, may not have been necessary and was not planned or executed as well as it could have been, according to a county auditor’s report released Tuesday. Garden Island.

JoAnn Yukimura seeks 10th term on Kauai County Council. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council Planning Committee opted Wednesday to defer action on a bill that would amend the county’s shoreline setback ordinance. Garden Island.

Kauai's electric utility will issue refunds to its members this month. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative said Wednesday the money comes from funds the cooperative has left over after paying all its expenses and meeting lender expectations for financial stability. Hawaii News Now.