Honolulu computer glitch causes statewide problems, Hirono recovering from second cancer surgery, Biki bike-sharing begins in Honolulu, Maui Hawaiians win quiet title dispute, unexploded ordnance presents Big Island development problem, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Hale © 2017 All Hawaii News

An attempt Tuesday to reboot the mainframe computer that runs the state system to renew driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations failed, forcing people to face a third consecutive day of delays on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono’s surgery to remove part of her rib Tuesday was successful, and she is in recovery, according to staff from her office. The operation was the second of two surgeries planned since Hirono was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer earlier this year. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono is recovering from a second surgery following her kidney cancer diagnosis. KHON2.

Papahanaumokuakea National Monument Review Opposed in Hawaii. Hawaii Public Radio.

University of Hawaii President David Lassner’s six-figure salary last year ranked at the low end of pay for public university leaders, according to a new report released Tuesday night by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Star-Advertiser.

More than 5,000 residents of Hawaii’s Second Congressional District (rural Oahu and the Neighbor Islands) participated in U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s interactive “Telephone Town Hall” on hurricane and disaster preparedness Monday evening. Garden Island.

Oahu

After about five years of preparation, “Biki” — Honolulu’s first major bike-share rental system — finally gets rolling across town today. Star-Advertiser.

The city-sponsored Bikeshare Hawaii program gets underway today — minus about 10 docking stations within Kapiolani Park because of a dispute over whether they should be allowed there. Star-Advertiser.

Crews were busy putting about bikes in place in time for Wednesday's roll out. KITV.

Due to computer mainframe issues, the city Department of Customer Services has made the decision to partially close the city’s driver licensing centers on Wednesday, June 28. KHON2.

The city says driver licensing centers will be partially closed on Wednesday, June 28 due to computer mainframe issues. KITV.

Homeless And Community Service Workers Considered For Park Cleanup. Honolulu City Council members hear ideas for employing the homeless and getting “free labor” from court-ordered workers. Civil Beat.

What to do with recent skeletal discoveries is the question to be discussed by the State Historic Preservation Division and the Oahu Island Burial Council during a meeting Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Special Permits Near Honolulu Rail Line Attract Proposals For Big Hotels. Developers can build higher and denser as long as the city finds that their projects promote “transit-enhanced neighborhoods.” Civil Beat.

As speeding cars and pedestrian safety remains on the mind of some Pearl City residents, a national traffic expert is examining ways to make Oahu's roads safer. Hawaii News Now.

Charley’s Taxi has received a "Certificate of Excellence" from TripAdvisor, becoming Hawaii’s first and only taxicab company to receive the recognition from the online travel site. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

The Monday morning malfunction of a City and County of Honolulu mainframe computer has become a statewide problem for anyone seeking to obtain or renew a driver’s license, register a motor vehicle or get a state identification card. Tribune-Herald.

Gov. David Ige plans to veto a bill intended to help businesses extend their leases on state land. The bill, introduced by Rep. Mark Nakashima, was one of eight bills introduced this past session aimed at addressing economic revitalization in Hilo. None of the others passed. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County mayor wants to coordinate the military cleanup of unexploded ordinance in the Former Waikoloa Maneuver Area in order to lift federal funding restrictions for affordable housing. Big Island Video News.

A town hall meeting on Monday night unleashed new outrage and fresh questions about an unauthorized construction project at the Punaluu Boat Launch over the weekend. Hawaii News Now.

Local businesses along Pawai Place in Kona’s Old Industrial area joined Hope Services and police officers for a street cleanup Tuesday morning. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing Kihei Satellite Office will be closed for about 3 1/2 weeks beginning Monday for expansion work, the county Department of Finance has announced. Maui News.

A 2nd Circuit Court jury returned a verdict Friday in favor of a Native Hawaiian family in a case involving Makila Land Co.’s attempt to quiet title a 3.4-acre kuleana parcel in Kauaula Valley in Lahaina. Maui News.

Kauai

A computer issue that began Monday on Oahu is affecting services at Kauai’s Department of Finance Driver Licensing division. Garden Island.

Jeff Stone, developer of the proposed Princeville Lodge, has withdrawn the project’s shoreline setback application. Garden Island.

Hofgaard Park is closed to allow the County of Kauai Housing Agency to start construction on access improvements aligned with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Garden Island.

Kapaia swinging bridge to be repaired. Volunteers needed; meeting near site is today. Garden Island.

Hawaii DOT sues for failed traffic computer system, Honolulu council may re-vote on rail following ethics charges, homeless veto overturned, Maui telescope protesters want jury trials, Kauai to keep council term limits, WWII anniversary commemorated, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii dad with children © 2015 All Hawaii News

Fathers are better dads in Hawaii. At least that’s what it looks like in some key areas, according to a new study on fatherhood in Hawaii, which found that island dads are better off than their mainland counterparts in education, employment and income. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Transportation is seeking “tens of millions” of dollars in damages from an information technology consulting company that allegedly defrauded the state in a failed contract to set up a new computer system for the state Highways Division. A lawsuit filed Wednesday also alleges the company, Ciber Inc., “used lobbyists and exercised inappropriate political influence” to persuade the state to continue making payments to the company, and to counter pressure from state transportation officials who were trying to enforce the terms of the contract. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Ciber Inc., alleging that the consulting firm “defrauded the State and engaged in other misconduct.” The state is seeking tens of millions in damages, including more than $8 million in fees it said it paid to Ciber, according to a press release from the DOT. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation has filed lawsuit against Ciber Inc. alleging the consulting firm defrauded the state and engaged in other misconduct on a project to implement new software for the department’s Highways Division. Associated Press.

More than 700 people attended the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the official end of World War II on Wednesday aboard the battleship Missouri, where the Japanese surrender was signed on Sept. 2, 1945. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. officials gathered on a decommissioned battleship in Pearl Harbor to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii joined U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift at a ceremony Wednesday. Associated Press.

The state Public Utilities Commission wants to know how Hawaiian Electric would be affected if, hypothetically, there was a major disaster at one of NextEra Energy’s nuclear reactors in Florida. Civil Beat.

The acquisition application that NextEra Energy Inc. and Hawaiian Electric Co. sent to Hawaii regulators in January doesn't apply anymore, the head of the Florida utility giant’s Hawaii operation said. Pacific Business News.

Hilo Hattie, one of Hawaii's well-known retailers, has laid out its reorganization plan to to pay off some of its creditors and bring the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time after selling its Nimitz Highway headquarters to the landowner last month. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin said he's considering holding a re-vote on nearly a dozen rail transit-related bills tainted by ethical conflicts by former city Councilmembers Romy Cachola and Nestor Garcia. Hawaii News Now.

An estimated 20,000 Oahu homeowners would soon be able to create second housing units on their properties that they can rent out to people after the Honolulu City Council approved a bill Wednesday that allows for accessory dwelling units. Star-Advertiser.

For the second time in recent months, the Honolulu City Council voted Wednesday to override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of a bill that expands Oahu’s “sit-lie” ban — this time to two Chinatown pedestrian malls. Star-Advertiser.

Sit-lie bans on Oahu are poised to expand to two Chinatown pedestrian malls in downtown Honolulu.  The City Council voted 7-2 Wednesday to override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of Bill 44, which extends the sit-lie prohibition to College Walk Mall and Kila Kalikimaka Mall. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu City Council overturned the Mayor’s veto today on a ban on sitting and lying in downtown malls Hawaii Public Radio.

Kakaako homeless camp attracting flies. Flies breeding in rotting garbage, human waste. KITV4.

Last week, as Gov. David Ige’s leadership team continued to mull over how to address Oahu’s homelessness crisis, a new idea emerged: to use portable, modular buildings — originally designed as classrooms — to temporarily house homeless people. But, if history is any indication, Ige and his colleagues will likely have to contend with some stiff community resistance before they can put any of the portables to use regardless of where they decide to put them. Civil Beat.

Lawyers representing Ewa Beach homeowners and the developer they sued disagreed in court Wednesday over the move to develop a recreational lagoon instead of a marina in the Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei area. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii regulators — for the third time — delayed making a decision on a “glass rule” for Kakaako high-rise projects regarding an issue with developer OliverMcMillan’s Symphony Honolulu mixed-use condominium tower, a spokeswoman for the developer confirmed to Pacific Business News.

A state board is still not sure what to do about a developer building a condominium tower in Kakaako with glass siding that doesn’t comply with a rule governing development in the area. Star-Advertiser.

The hot and humid weather has taken a dangerous toll at our schools. A teacher at Ewa Beach Elementary School drove herself to the hospital Tuesday for heat exhaustion. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council wants Congress to sponsor a constitutional amendment curbing the ability of corporations to pump unlimited money into elections. West Hawaii Today.

A team of Hawaii and mainland scientists is seeking to take out some of the uncertainty surrounding lava flows as part of a three-year study that could help Hawaii Island residents decide when they should evacuate. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply is working to repair Halekii deep well after it failed on Monday. The breakdown has customers in South Kona on water conservation. West Hawaii Today.

Kuleana and Lanakila Mangauil. The third part of our profile on the Mauna Kea movement leader examines Mangauil’s interpretation of his duty to protect the land, his people's culture and their right to self-determination. Hawaii Independent.

Maui

Two Kihei residents have petitioned the state Department of Health for stricter rules and greater oversight of agricultural burns - including cane burning by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. - that call for the health director, not the farmer, to make daily calls on whether to burn or not. Maui News.

Fourteen of the 20 protesters arrested July 31 at the Central Maui Baseyard are asking for jury trials on charges of failing to disperse when a convoy of wide-load trucks was leaving to deliver parts for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at the Haleakala summit. Maui News.

The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife has just released a draft management plan for the Nakula Natural Area Reserve on Maui that is expected to help guide restoration and management activities there for the foreseeable future. Maui Now.

Kauai

Term limits for councilmembers will stay in place. As expected, a plan to repeal term limits fell one vote short in the Kauai County Council on Wednesday. Garden Island.

$11M preparing for tech bids lost, state seeks broadband help, construction to grow 9.4%, Hawaiian Electric catching up on PV applications, Kauai space launch delayed, Chinese tourists drive visitor stats, more government and politics news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Computer e-waste recycling, courtesy Damon Tucker

After the state spent more than $11 million developing a request for proposals for new computer technology to make government more efficient, the Ige administration is now scrapping the solicitation but promises the money has not been wasted. Star-Advertiser.

A panel of experts at the Hawaii Venture Capital Association luncheon on Thursday discussed the state’s need for broadband, which actions are needed to make it a reality and ways that higher bandwidth can be used. Pacific Business News.

Construction spending is forecast to rise 9.4 percent this year to $7.6 billion, the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization said. Star-Advertiser.

The construction industry isn’t growing as quickly as economists had expected. That’s according to a new report by the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization. Despite a surge of activity on Oahu, the annual forecast says residential building permits actually fell last year. Hawaii Public Radio.

Visitor arrivals to Hawai‘i rose slightly last month, up a little more than 2% compared to a year earlier. Visitor spending fell by a little more than 4%. One group with higher numbers: the Chinese. Hawaii Public Radio.

A plan to allow tourists who are ripped off during their Hawaii vacations to testify against the suspects by way of videoconferencing was rejected by state lawmakers this week, and it appears the idea is dead for the year. Star-Advertiser.

The push to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii — some 15 years after state leaders permitted medical use of the drug — continues to advance through the Legislature, with key lawmakers in support saying they hope to give the state's nearly 13,000 medical pot patients access to such outlets by early 2016. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Industries CEO Connie Lau made it clear during her closing speech Thursday at the Maui Energy Conference that the company will continue to pursue liquefied natural gas as a “bridge fuel.” Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said Thursday it has approved all rooftop solar applications on Maui and Hawaii island waiting since at least October for the go-ahead. Star-Advertiser.

The Nominating Committee to the State Commission on Water Resource Management will meet Tuesday to review personnel applications and select nominees to fill one position on the State Commission on Water Resource Management. Hawaii Independent.

State taxpayers will pay $418,500 to settle three cases of wrongful terminations of public school employees. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Seeking public input, city aims to lock away prime Oahu farmland. More than 56,000 acres is eyed for inclusion on a map that puts limits on urban development. Star-Advertiser.

The state fears the little fire ant infestation in Waimanalo could get worse. That’s because a group of people have been going in and out of the area that’s infested with the ants. On Friday, the state attorney general’s office will file a temporary restraining order against the group, hoping a judge orders them off the property. KHON2.

City considers fencing Kapalama Canal to move out homeless. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

While the June 27 lava flow is not dead, the downgrading of the threat from Kilauea volcano Wednesday could provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a closing date for the disaster. If that occurs, FEMA spokeswoman Kelly Hudson said the agency would continue to process requests for disaster relief funds but could limit reimbursement to expenses that occurred before March 25. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Fire Department operations in West Hawaii are not being jeopardized by recent turmoil in the office that resulted in two battalion chiefs being put on paid leave, a top-ranking Fire Department official said this week. West Hawaii Today.

As the site preparation for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope gets underway, the opposition to the $1.3 billion observatory has taken to Mauna Kea. Big Island Video News.

Several dozen demonstrators assembled Thursday along Mauna Kea Access Road, where organizers say protesters plan to camp out indefinitely in hopes of halting work atop Mauna Kea on what is expected to be the world's largest telescope. Star-Advertiser.

As cars tear up and down residential streets and along roadways in Kona, those who live closest to the lead-footed driving are increasingly calling on the county to erect speed humps to rein drivers in. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The state is threatening to seize several private boats in Lahaina over a lease dispute. Hawaii News Now.

Having Maui County glean 100 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy sources has long been a vision for Mayor Alan Arakawa, but achieving that goal will take time and technological advances, utility officials said Wednesday. Maui News.

Maui County plans to replace its streetlights with more efficient LED lighting, following other counties in Hawaii, including Honolulu and Kauai. Pacific Business News.

Maui County is Hawaii's healthiest county with its active residents and many opportunities for exercise, according to a study released Wednesday by a national health foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Maui News.

Kauai

The University of Hawaii's first space launch has been delayed three times since 2013, with liftoff of the low-cost, small-satellite delivery system pushed back from January to the fall due to technology and timing issues, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Traffic congestion. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz wants to hit it head on, not only for Hawaii’s sake, but all other states that are faced with similar challenges. Garden Island.

Kauai District Engineer Ray McCormick of the Hawaii Department of Transportation will be the featured speaker at the Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association’s meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kapaa Library. The talk is free and open to the public. Garden Island.

Hawaii DOE proposes a computer for every student, Maui cane-burning opponents seek study, OHA candidate Pomroy dies, Big Island roads twice as deadly, UH gets low rankings, Hawaiian Airlines' profits fly high, more news from all the Hawaian Islands

Gov. Abercrombie at K-9 retirement, courtesy photo

A special ceremony was held today at Washington Place for one of the Public Safety Sheriff Division’s finest canines. Sheriff Deputies along with other law enforcement officials gathered for the retirement of Deputy Canine Drikus who served in the Sheriff Division from 2002 until last month. Hawaii Reporter.

The Department of Education wants to provide every public school student with a laptop or computer tablet by 2015 as part of an initiative that would also include training teachers on the devices and buying digital materials that reflect new national Common Core standards for math and reading. Star-Advertiser.

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and mixed-race youth are disproportionately represented in Hawaii's juvenile justice system, a recent study concludes. Civil Beat.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i Foundation (“ACLU”) has filed an amicus curiae brief (also known as a “friend of the court” brief) in United States District Court supporting the Constitutional rights of attorneys and their clients to speak privately, without monitoring and eavesdropping by prison personnel. Hawaii Reporter.

Early walk-in voting for the general election began on Tuesday. KHON2.

Voter apathy in Hawaii is getting national attention with a new CNN report that places the state rock-bottom when it comes to election day turnout. Hawaii News Now.

Fund for Freedom Committee, a Washington, D.C.-based super PAC, has reserved television advertising time in Hawaii to help former Gov. Linda Lingle's Republican campaign for U.S. Senate. Star-Advertiser.

Ed Case loaned his campaign $50,000 in the final days leading up his loss in the Aug. 11 primary election, then used that money to refund contributions earmarked for the general election run that never happened. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Holdings Inc., parent of Hawaiian Airlines, reported a third-quarter profit Tuesday of $45.5 million, or 86 cents per diluted share, which was a 77 percent increase over the same quarter in 2011, when the airline posted a profit of $25.6 million, or 50 cents per diluted share. Pacific Business News.

State roundup for October 24. Associated Press.

Oahu

The number of Oahu early walk-in voters Tuesday — 1,729 — topped first-day totals for the August primary and the 2010 general elections, which were 983 and 1,261, respectively. Star-Advertiser.

A day after Honolulu mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano sued a third-party business and labor group for libel, opponent Kirk Caldwell said he's also seen enough of negative campaigning and wants to focus on issues affecting the city. Star-Advertiser.

Off the Beat: New Low In Political Ads. Civil Beat.

QS World University Rankings has the University of Hawaii at Manoa No. 283 out of 400 top universities for 2012, an improvement from its ranking of 295 last year. Pacific Business News.

Canoe paddlers rallied at the Capitol to speak out against a proposed development on Sand Island. KITV4.

Before a recall had been issued for ground beef from Higa Foodservice due to concerns about possible E. coli contamination, two elementary schools on Oahu had served students the suspect meat. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Thirty-five people have been killed on Big Island public roads through Tuesday — more than double the 16 fatalities recorded during the first 297 days of 2011. West Hawaii Today.

The Army said it is considering basing Stryker armored vehicles at Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island as part of a larger plan to pre-position equipment, on land or on ships, around Asia and the Pacific to improve training, engagement and response times, and to keep costs down. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. is reviewing offers by two of its power producers to stop tying energy costs to the price of oil. Tribune-Herald.

Ka‘u residents and island hunters took the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to task earlier this year during meetings to discuss the proposed Ka‘u Forest Reserve Management Plan. West Hawaii Today.

Naniloa Volcanoes Resort owner Ken Fujiyama is in default of a $10 million loan he used to purchase the hotel in 2006. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

As anti-cane burning activists don gas masks during protests and sugar workers line roadways in support of the industry, Maui’s district health officer is pushing to finish what he feels could be a definitive look at the health effects of cane smoke on the island. Maui Now.

The Krausz Cos. plans to build a 250,000-square-foot multiuse community on Maui adjacent to the Safeway-anchored Piilani Village Shopping Center in Kihei, which the California company acquired nearly a decade ago. Pacific Business News.

A fourth-generation member of Hana's iconic Hasegawa General Store that soon will be rebuilt at the site of a fire that claimed the storied establishment years ago was honored Saturday with the Tiny Malaikini Mea Kokua Award, the community's recognition for public service. Maui News.

After a criminal complaint against former police officer Christopher Kealoha was received at the Maui Police Department in February, the document went missing before it was served on him more than five months later. Maui News.

Kauai

Sharon Pomroy passed away Tuesday morning. She never regained consciousness after suffering a seizure and heart attack last Wednesday during a candidates meet and greet event in Wailua. Garden Island.