State and county high-rise laws face changes in wake of fatal condo fire, Hurricane Fernanda threat lessens, Maui mayor cleared, Kauai salt makers react to climate change, Big Island couple pleads not guilty to starving 9-year-old, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hurricane Fernanda track NOAA

Fernanda continued to weaken overnight but remained a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane Fernanda is packing maximum sustained winds near 100 mph while moving northwest at 9 mph. It’s located about 1,460 miles east of Hilo. Star-Advertiser.

Hurricane Fernanda continues to weaken as it churns toward the Central Pacific. Hawaii News Now.

The fire at the Marco Polo has put the spotlight on Act 53, formerly known as Senate Bill 611, which makes it illegal for any county to require single-family homes or duplexes to have sprinklers for the next 10 years. It’s a question of whether homeowners should be required to spend thousands of dollars to prevent potential tragedies, and whether raising the already-high price of housing in Hawaii is worth preventing loss of life. Civil Beat.

The Building Industry Association of Hawaii planned, then canceled, a celebration of a bill that prevents counties from mandating single-family homes have sprinklers. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers on the state and county level, as well as Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, want to make sure a deadly high-rise fire, like the one that broke out Friday in the Marco Polo building, doesn’t happen again. KHON2.

Hundreds of older high-rise apartment buildings in Honolulu aren’t required to have sprinkler systems, but city officials are pushing for change in the wake of Friday’s deadly 26th-floor blaze. Associated Press.

Three days after a major fire killed three people at the Marco Polo condominium complex, Mayor Kirk Caldwell has sent the City Council a proposal to require high-rise residential buildings without automatic fire sprinklers to install them. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell today introduced a bill that would require all residential buildings over 75 feet high to install sprinkler systems. The Honolulu Fire Department estimated there are about 300 highrise apartment buildings on Oahu that don't have sprinkler systems. Hawaii News Now.

Fire investigators said Monday the apartment where a deadly fire began in a Honolulu high-rise was near the two units on the 26th floor where the bodies of three victims were found, but they’re still working to determine the cause. Associated Press.

The Marco Polo fatal high-rise fire did not begin in the condominium units of the three people who died in the Friday five-alarm blaze, Honolulu fire investigators have determined. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Does The Risk Justify The Cost Of Sprinklers In Older High-Rises? Until now, the answer has been “no.” But the tragic fire in the Marco Polo condominiums could change the equation. Civil Beat.

Commentary: There are no easy answers to draw from Friday’s tragic fire that killed three people at the Marco Polo condominium tower. There is, however, one necessary answer: Heed the calls to retrofit older buildings with fire sprinkler systems. Star-Advertiser.

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The State Department Monday expanded its definition of “close family” to include grandparents and other relatives that constitute a bona fide U.S. relationship for visa applicants and refugees from six mainly Muslim nations, in response to a Hawaii federal judge’s order last week. Associated Press.

Medical Aid In Dying Dealt Another Blow In Hawaii. An Oahu circuit judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit asking the court to prevent existing Hawaii criminal laws from being applied to medical aid in dying practices. Big Island Video News.

The state Public Utilities Commission has accepted an updated plan submitted by Hawaiian Electric Cos. detailing how it will reach the state’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy five years ahead of schedule. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric rates could rise 44% under plan OKed by state regulators. Pacific Business News.

Costco Wholesale Corp. paid a fine last week of nearly $5,000 for violating Hawaii's beverage container deposit requirements, the Hawaii State Department of Health said Monday. Pacific Business News.

They can’t quite top Bernie Sanders, but Hawaii U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono both rank among the three most popular senators in the nation, according to a recent poll by survey research company Morning Consult. Star-Advertiser.

Food safety inspectors will begin stepping up enforcement of a new law that bans the use of latex gloves in restaurants. KHON2.

Oahu

Kaimuki charter school finds site to share. SEEQS — the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability — will be sharing a campus with Kaimuki High School, 2 miles away. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County is taking another crack at property tax reform. Fresh from raising taxes on most property types, county officials say they are convening an internal working group to recommend changes to the tax code. Tribune-Herald.

Public Works Director Frank DeMarco has decided to retire. West Hawaii Today.

Keith Okamoto, Hawaii County Department of Water Supply manager and chief engineer, came to Kona on Monday to offer a presentation on the area’s water emergency to the Hawaii County Council’s Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee. West Hawaii Today.

Both parents accused of starving a 9-year-old Hilo girl to death last year pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

State officials are dropping a complaint against Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa that accused him of using campaign funds for personal purposes by sponsoring a softball team. Star-Advertiser.

A bill aiming to regulate and look into sand extraction in Maui County is undergoing changes, as a Maui County Council committee continues to mull the measure that arose from an uproar over a recent sand excavation and export case in Maui Lani. Maui News.

A new system will help forecast the effects of sea level rise and waves in West Maui. The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System has received a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop the model. Hawaii Public Radio.

A Stage 1 water shortage declaration for Upcountry, which calls for voluntary cutbacks by consumers, goes into effect today due to drier-than-normal trade wind flows so far this summer. Maui News.

Trilogy Excursions announced it has outfitted all six of its sailing catamarans with sunscreen that is free of reef damaging chemicals. Maui Now.

Kauai

A community of traditional salt makers on Kauai is navigating the impacts of climate change on the generations-old practice. Hawaii Public Radio.

Swells could reach 8 feet on the Eastside today as the initial impacts of Hurricane Fernanda begin to reach Kauai. Garden Island.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is seeking new projects for its Hawaii Forest Legacy Program that will protect important working forest lands from the threat of conversion to non-forest uses. Garden Island.

Call for sprinkler law follows five-alarm high-rise fire, former President Clinton visits Hawaii, no tech in high tech park, Oahu medical marijuana patients increase, Kauai studies bus plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Civil Beat YouTube video

 A five-alarm fire Friday at the Marco Polo condo is expected to spark renewed debate over a long-standing question of whether the city should require Oahu condo projects built before sprinklers were mandated in the mid-1970s to install them. Star-Advertiser.

The deadly fire at the Marco Polo building sparks a renewed push for sprinkler systems to be installed at condos and apartments. KITV.

If Honolulu is to require owners to install fire sprinklers in all pre-1975 residential buildings, it will involve heavy lifting to persuade the state Legislature to update the state’s fire code, according to a retired Honolulu fire official. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Friday called for legislation requiring the retrofitting of older residential high-rises with fire sprinklers after a blaze in Honolulu killed three people. Civil Beat.

The fire that killed three people at the Marco Polo Apartments condominium tower in Honolulu could have been less severe if the building had a sprinkler system in place. Pacific Business News.

At least three people died and 12 were injured Friday in a fire at a Honolulu high-rise that was not equipped with sprinklers, authorities said, and hundreds fled the giant condominium complex as smoke billowed from the upper floors. Associated Press.

Relatives of the three people killed in Friday's highrise fire are opening up about their devastating loss. Hawaii News Now.

Twenty six stories up. Island News got a first look inside the Honolulu high rise that was on fire for nearly 10 hours. KITV.

Estimated 40-50 units "total losses" following Marco Polo high-rise fire. Fire investigators were still on scene at the Marco Polo Apartments on Sunday, working to determine what caused the massive high-rise fire that injured dozens, and killed three. KITV.

How you can help victims of Marco Polo highrise fire. KHON2.

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Why Is A High-Tech Agency Building A Center For Cops And Rescue Workers? The project raises questions about whether the Hawaii Technology Development Corp. is stepping away from its mission and legislative mandate. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate remains below three percent. And while that’s good news for the state’s economy, it’s creating a challenge for many businesses that are struggling to find good help. Hawaii Public Radio.

New care home law is called ‘a facade’. When Gov. David Ige held a bill-signing ceremony last week for a new law that aims to cut through the red tape that blocked certain elderly couples from living together in the same licensed care home, the one couple it was specifically designed to help was conspicuously absent. Star-Advertiser.

Officials, community say defunding tsunami detection system penny wise and pound foolish. West Hawaii Today.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton toured the Hokule‘a at Sand Island Sunday, about a month after the Hawaiian voyaging canoe’s return from its three-year journey around the globe. Star-Advertiser.

The 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was seen on Oahu this weekend giving a speech, dining at a presidential favorite spot, and touring the Hokulea. Hawaii News Now.

Former President Bill Clinton is in the islands. KHON2.

Fernanda remains a category 3 hurricane according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. The storm is churning in the East Pacific as gradual weakening is expected over the next 48 hours. Hawaii News Now.

Big Island still has most medical marijuana users, but Oahu’s percentage grows. Hawaii Island historically has contained the lion’s share of medical marijuana patients, but that trend could gradually be changing, data released Friday by the state Department of Health indicates. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to have asthma, according to the latest research by the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu rail leaders are laboring to maintain public confidence in the project, yet their decision to defer an audit that would investigate how its price tag nearly doubled and its schedule got pushed back six years has critics crying foul. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu inflation is heating up as the state’s economy continues to grow. Star-Advertiser.

This Group Is Helping The Needy By Rescuing Tons Of Food. Though the nonprofit typically relies on grants, Aloha Harvest is looking to the city of Honolulu in hopes of a contract. Civil Beat.

Statue to bring the aloha of Don Ho back to Waikiki. Don Ho, Hawaii’s best-known entertainer, is returning to the International Market Place on Aug. 13 — what would have been his 87th birthday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

The latest chapter in the ongoing audit review of the management of Mauna Kea arrived in the form of a new report this month. Big Island Video News.

Court dates have been set for the 48 adults cited July 8 for trespassing into the closed Kohala Forest Reserve and Kohala Restricted Watershed. Tribune-Herald.

A father, mother and maternal grandmother are in custody for allegedly starving a 9-year-old Hilo girl to death. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Crime Problems Seem Bigger On Social Media. Hawaii County crime isn’t on the rise. But the prosecutor says residents are justifiably upset by a clogged criminal justice system. Civil Beat.

While signs have been posted at some beaches in recent months warning beachgoers of high bacteria levels in the water, those counts don’t necessarily mean waters are contaminated with sewage. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County real estate trends continued ticking upward as the first half of the sales year came to a close, with the busy market leading to increases in new construction as existing inventory is bought up. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Unlike some politicians who’d grab the center of attention at a public event, shaking every hand within reach, Gov. David Ige was characteristically laid-back recently when he visited Maui for a senior housing groundbreaking ceremony in Pukalani and a visit to Kula Hospital. Maui News.

Portions of the Kanaio Natural Area Reserve will be closed on dates in August and September while the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife conducts animal control via aerial shooting from helicopters. Maui News.

After serving under eight Maui County prosecuting attorneys and appearing before 13 2nd Circuit judges during a career that spanned 40 years, Deputy Prosecutor John Tam has retired. Maui News.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development announced that it has issued more than $2 million in grants to various local organizations during the second half of fiscal year 2017. Maui Now.

Sen. Rosalyn Baker inducted the Maui Chamber of Commerce’s new and existing board members for the 2017-18 term on June 2 at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali. Maui News.

Kauai

The County of Kauai’s Transportation Agency will be holding islandwide, public information and community comment sessions on the Kauai Bus Short-Range Transit Plan starting this week. Garden Island.

The County of Kauai’s Transportation Agency will be holding islandwide, public information and community comment sessions on the Kauai Bus Short-Range Transit Plan starting this week. KHON2.

Soon, folks will have a way to get from Kawaihau Road to the rest of Kauai’s coastal path via a 1,000-foot boardwalk. Garden Island.

$6.6M for Mahelona hospital projects. Remodeled rooms for residents, upgrades to nurse stations are among the plans. Garden Island.

New enclosure last step to recovery for native seabirds. Garden Island.

Hawaii tourism hits new record, Pearl Harbor seeks exemption from Trump hiring freeze, backlash from Trump travel ban, University of Hawaii advises affected students, faculty to stay put, state to pay $3.9M to family of Maui fatality, Kauai jail crowded, change orders up public contract costs, Molokai unemployment office unstaffed, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki beach scene © 2017 All Hawaii News

Hawaii tourist arrivals and spending reached records again last year — the fifth in a row — and it appears 2017 will be no different. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii tourism set new records in 2016, with total visitor arrivals rising 3 percent to nearly 9 million visitors, and spending increasing by 4.2 percent to a new high of $15.6 billion, according to year-end statistics by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii’s tourism industry established new records in total visitor spending and visitor arrivals in 2016, according to preliminary year-end statistics released Monday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. This marked the fifth straight year of record growth in both categories. Garden Island.

Almost 9 million visitors traveled to Hawaii last year as the state broke records for tourist arrivals and spending. KITV.

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Hawaii Congressional leaders, lawmakers and others are speaking out against President Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States. Hawaii News Now.

President Donald Trump's immigration ban is stirring up a number of emotions across the nation, and some in Hawaii are fearful of the fallout. KITV.

The University of Hawaii is now advising students and staff with immigrant or non-immigrant visas or green cards who are originally from the seven named countries in the order (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) to defer travel outside the U.S. for now. KHON2.

Hawaii’s native Middle-Eastern and Muslim populations represent only a small faction of its overall demographic, but President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration has inspired backlash among politicians, lawyers and residents of the state — both from those who identify as Muslim and those who don’t. West Hawaii Today.

A former Justice Department insider is bringing the debate over President Trump's immigration ban to Honolulu classrooms.Hawaii News Now.

One of the organizers of a recent trip that U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard took to Syria conceded Monday that he and his brother had been members of a group called the Syrian Social Nationalist Party — which, according to news reports, has backed the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has links to terrorist activities — but said they were no longer a part of the organization. Star-Advertiser.

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The Hawaii Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment voted Monday to advance three measures dealing with pesticide exposure and safety. Garden Island.

The state Legislature has more than 3 months to decide on funding levels for Hawai’i’s public school system. But lawmakers are questioning some of the education cuts being proposed by the governor. Hawaii Public Radio

After several high-profile cases involving lost or stolen money, there’s a push to make homeowner associations more accountable. KHON2.

A bill proposed at the state Legislature looks to create a program for companies and others to get paid for taking part in regulatory reviews that the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission conducts. Pacific Business News.

A Hawaii lawmaker has proposed a bill that aims to speed up and bring the costs down during any other electric utility acquisition process in the wake of NextEra Energy Inc.’s failed $4.3 billion bid last year to buy Hawaiian Electric Co. Pacific Business News.

A proposal to inspect shipping containers for illegal fireworks is gaining momentum. The state attorney general has just issued a legal opinion on the bill. KHON2.

A DNA test to identify the coconut rhinoceros beetle, an invasive pest in its juvenile stages has been developed by scientists at the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, one of the state’s largest employers, hopes to hire more than 500 workers this year, including dozens of mechanics, engineers, IT specialists, administration personnel and laborers. But those jobs have been in limbo since President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 freezing government hiring. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Police Department has promoted two assistant chiefs, despite the vacancy at the top of the embattled agency. Hawaii News Now.

A fight over the Maunawili falls trail, a popular hiking trail in windward Oahu, is heating up. KHON2.

Hawaii

Riding a wave of new construction, charges added to county contracts to correct errors, account for unforeseen circumstances and expand the scope of work without going back out to bid nearly doubled in the past two years compared to the previous two years. West Hawaii Today.

The sponsor of legislation to transfer management of Hilo Medical Center to the County of Hawaii says he proposed it to help Mayor Harry Kim expand health services. Tribune-Herald.

A former real estate broker could receive probation and serve no more than a year in jail after pleading guilty to theft and failure to pay taxes. West Hawaii Today.

Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre lost their son in a hiking fall 20 years ago. They turned their grief into a memorial foundation raising money for lifeguards and firefighters. Civil Beat.

Maui

The state has agreed to pay $3.9 million to the family of a 12-year-old San Diego boy who plunged to his death in 2012 from a cliff along Hana Highway. Star-Advertiser.

Sen. Rosalyn Baker, D-6th District (South and West Maui) invites the public to attend a Talk Story on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Kīhei Charter School campus in Līpoa Center. Maui Now.

About 100,000 more visitors came to Maui in 2016 than in 2015, raising the island’s total count to its highest annual mark ever — 2.6 million — according to data released Monday by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority. Maui News.

The Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation wants to hire six new workers for the growing Central Maui Regional Sports Complex. Maui News.

Members of the Hawaiʻi National Guard, United States Coast Guard, paramedics, Kahului Airport security, Maui police and fire fighters will be participating in a large scale emergency operations exercise starting Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. Maui Now.

Kauai

Correctional center designed for 127 has 174 inmates. Garden Island.

Volunteers have removed more than 9,000 pounds of debris from Kauai’s beaches over the past two weekends. Garden Island.

Molokai

Molokai unemployment office to be unstaffed: No one will replace Chocho Kaupu when she retires from the Molokai unemployment office today. Maui News.

Capitol reflection pools still not fixed, condo protection bill dies in Legislature, hospital privatization taxes pension fund, HIV tenants face eviction from government housing, Maui property tax rate drops, Kauai downsizes GET increase, Thirty Meter Telescope case advances, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Capitol reflecting pool, Wikipedia photo by Marshman

Dead fish are floating in two reflecting pools at the Hawaii State Capitol that are supposed to symbolize the ocean waters surrounding the islands. It’s the latest in a series of maintenance issues that have arisen since the Capitol was completed in 1969. Civil Beat.

The ‘Brutal Reality’ Of Owning A Condo In Hawaii. They’re often the only homes people can afford, but maintenance fees can suddenly explode. Should the state do more for owners? Civil Beat.

The state’s decision to privatize three neighbor island hospitals is having some unexpected fiscal fallout, with experts in the public-employee pension system estimating that privatizing Maui Memorial Medical Center and two other facilities will add $213 million to the unfunded liability of the public-employees pension fund. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii became the first state Friday to sue Takata, the Japanese auto parts maker ordered to recall millions of its airbags because of a deadly defect. Honda Motor, the automaker most affected by the recalls, is also named as a defendant. Pacific Business News.

When major earthquakes happen in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Hawai'i is always on alert for potential tsunami threats, but researchers say we may have been underestimating the chance of a mega-tsunami affecting Hawai'i. KITV4.

Oahu

Honolulu rail’s federal partners believe it will cost $700 million to $1.2 billion more than local rail officials’ most recent estimates to complete Oahu’s elevated transit system — a revelation that throws the future scope and design of the largest public works project in state history into question. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu’s rail project is now expected to cost taxpayers $6.9 billion, about $1.6 billion more than the original price tag for the 20-mile rail line. Civil Beat.

Peter Carlisle is running for mayor of Honolulu, seeking to take back the office he lost to Kirk Caldwell four years ago. At a press conference Friday morning held downtown at the law offices of O’Connor Playdon & Guben, where Carlisle is an attorney, the former mayor said rail is his top priority. Civil Beat.

A Hawaii Supreme Court decision is forcing the city to continue trash collection for scores of apartments, condominiums and nonprofit buildings, a service city officials have been trying to put the brakes on for more than a year. Star-Advertiser.

A U.S. district judge has dismissed a former Ansaldo safety manager’s whistleblower suit, ruling that he did not show sufficient evidence that the local rail operator forced him to leave his job. Star-Advertiser.

The City Council Budget Committee, making its last pass on 2017 budget bills, restored about $4 million aimed at programs to help the homeless but again refused funding for a new housing office requested by Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Star-Advertiser.

Shoulders slumped and faces fell as 10 formerly homeless people with HIV and AIDS were told that the federal government will no longer pay for their housing after Aug. 31. Star-Advertiser.

Just 100 feet from the ocean, a two-bedroom home in Kekaha is supposed to serve as the IBEW's Local 1260's Kauai office. But it also serves as a retreat for union members.  At a time when the local was raising dues for hundreds, it paid more than $680,000 for the beachfront home on the Garden Isle.  Critics say it's just another example of lavish spending by the IBEW's embattled business manager Brian Ahakuelo. Hawaii News Now.

Former leader of contractors association sentenced to 42 months in prison. Pacific Business News.

This corpse flower is no shrinking violet. And anyone who caught a whiff of it in bloom this week at Foster Botanical Garden certainly knows the pungent blossom lives up to its name. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii

Five Native Hawaiians are asking to participate in a hearing for the construction permit of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. Their requests, submitted this week to the state Land Board, say they have cultural and traditional rights to Mauna Kea and that their participation will help the board make a decision. Associated Press.

The Thirty Meter Telescope’s land use permit isn’t the only thing the state Land Board is being asked to reconsider for the $1.4 billion project. In April, 3rd Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura officially remanded the project’s Mauna Kea sublease to the panel for additional review.Tribune-Herald.

Gov. David Ige last week signed into law a measure that requires certain contested case hearings, including the one about to get underway for the TMT, to be appealed directly to the Hawaii Supreme Court. Star-Advertiser.

Coping with Cohabitation: Micro housing project pushes homeless, business to coexist. West Hawaii Today.

Homeless ranks swell, frustrate business sector in Kona Old Industrial Area. West Hawaii Today.

From the beginning of 2014 until mid-April this year, the Hawaii Police Department issued a total of 5,904 citations for the use of a mobile electronic device while driving. Tribune-Herald.

Na Wai Ola, a Puna-based public charter school, needs to make some big decisions — and soon — in order to keep its charter and ultimately stay open. Tribune-Herald.

A Kailua-Kona couple’s plans to replace a 50-year-old wall fronting their Alii Drive property has run afoul of county permitting laws. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Most property tax rates will be dropping next fiscal year with others remaining flat after Maui County Council members passed a resolution Friday to set the tax rates that will take effect July 1. Maui News.

A group spearheading a voter initiative for legislation to take over sugar cane lands and turn them into organic farms has gathered around 11,500 signatures and turned them into the Maui County Clerk's Office for verification, Community Farmland Council spokesman Bruce Douglas said Saturday. Maui News.

With more than three weeks to go before a deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers, it's becoming increasing clear some incumbents will face tough challenges while others may win re-election simply because they're unopposed. Maui News.

Maui researchers at the Pacific Disaster Center have tracked many of the major disasters that have hit the world over the past decade from Hurricane Katrina to super typhoons in the Philippines. Maui News.

Maui County Corporation Counsel Patrick Wong has again reported gambling winnings in his required financial disclosure statement to the Maui County Board of Ethics. Maui News.

Kauai

Bills relating to the General Excise Tax and homestays are scheduled for a second reading during the Kauai County Council meeting Wednesday. Bill No. 261o proposes raising the GET a quarter of a percent, as a way to raise funds for tackling just over $100 million worth of backlogged road repairs. Garden Island.

Nawiliwili Harbor and the Port Allen Harbor are included in The Energy and Water Appropriations Act of more than $3 million which was supported by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono. Garden Island.

A $70,000 project aimed at improving pedestrian safety on Waikomo Road was deferred in committee by the Kauai Council Wednesday. Garden Island.

POW/MIA ID program cut, Ige seeks new DLNR chairman, state seeks tourism chief, Honolulu prosecutor bungles gambling probe, telescopes net $91.5M for Big Island, Hawaiian Electric/NextEra Energy merger more a sale, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pearl Harbor © 2014 All Hawaii News

A program that provides dozens of scientists and other experts to the Hawaii-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is being sharply cut. The move comes at the same time that Congress is seeking more recoveries and identifications from JPAC, whose headquarters and main lab are at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Associated Press.

There had been great interest in whether William Aila would be retained by Gov. David Ige as chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and head of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Neil Abercrombie, the governor who Ige defeated in the Democratic primary, was among those who urged the new governor to keep the popular Aila. Turns out that Ige is keeping Aila, but not on the Land Board. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige appointed five new cabinet members. Ige says all of the appointees have a leadership style that will move Hawaii forward for the benefit of the public. Some are staying on from the previous administration. Associated Press.

Almost two dozen Hawaii media outlets and nonprofit organizations have come together to start a dialogue with Gov. David Ige’s administration about government transparency and accountability issues. Brian Black, the executive director of The Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest and the organizer of the effort, delivered a jointly signed letter to Ige’s chief of staff, Mike McCartney, on Friday. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has chosen a search committee to establish the search process and qualifications for a permanent president and CEO of the state agency. Pacific Business News.

On the ninth day of President Barack Obama's vacation in Hawaii, he went to the Kaneohe Klipper Marine Corps Base Hawaii golf course. Star-Advertiser.

How President Barack Obama spent the ninth day of his family’s holiday vacation on Sunday. Associated Press.

Are Hawaiian Electric and NextEra Energy Getting Married? Company officials are describing the proposed deal in many ways, including a "marriage," "partnership" and "combination," blurring the true nature of the acquisition. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Judge criticizes city's bungled prosecution in tossing indictment. Misconduct by two government attorneys scuttles a trial about gambling machines. Star-Advertiser.

Cleaner air and less litter at beaches and parks. That’s what some Oahu residents say is the result of a smoking ban that went into effect almost one year ago. KHON2.

Vacation cons take their toll. Police often can't solve the crimes because many occur out of state, leaving travelers with a loss of cash and no place to stay. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii Island raked in $91.48 million in 2012 thanks to direct and indirect impacts of the astronomy sector, according to a recent study by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. Tribune-Herald.

The front of the lava flow coming from the Kilauea Volcano advanced another 10 yards Sunday. Hawaii County Civil Defense said the front of the flow remains active but sluggish, moving 15 yards on Saturday after stalling for five days. Star-Advertiser.

According to Hawaii County Civil Defense their Sunday morning flyover of the June 27 lava flow from Kilauea volcano showed the flow front, which had been stagnant for several days, had advanced about 10 yards since Saturday afternoon, and about 25 yards in the previous 48 hours. Tribune-Herald.

They say bad news comes in threes, but in the case of the Department of Water Supply, it’s come in fours. Four water wells in West Hawaii experienced breakdowns in rapid succession, leaving the department scrambling to repair them, even as meteorologists predict a drier than normal winter. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii's supply of locally grown tomatoes has gotten considerably smaller after one of the state's biggest producers decided to exit the business. Hamakua Springs Country Farms on Hawaii island ceased tomato production at the end of November, leaving stores around the state such as Costco, Foodland, Safeway and Whole Foods without the company's hydroponically grown varieties, which included cocktail, beef and heirloom tomatoes. Star-Advertiser.

As the end of 2014 draws near, a prominent construction project in Kona is on schedule for completion. Traffic circulation and public safety will improve when the extension of Laaloa Avenue, a mauka-makai connector road, opens next month, said Warren Lee, Hawaii County Department of Public Works director. West Hawaii Today.

The county Department of Public Works Traffic Division will begin internal testing today of a traffic camera on the Keaau bypass portion of Keaau-Pahoa Road (Highway 130) at the intersection of Milo Street. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County is sending notices of violation to several hundred unpermitted vacation rental operators who've been doing business under the radar but now have been targeted for enforcement because their online advertising is evidence of illegal activity. Maui News.

Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi are the three islands that are no strangers to experiencing frequent housing shortages. Maui Now.

A $12 million retail/office, residential apartment and independent senior living development with more than 170 additional public parking spaces is proposed for a 9-acre site within the Baldwin Avenue-Paia Mini Bypass pocket of former sugar cane fields. Maui News.

A piece of ordnance found by a diver in waters off of Maui on Saturday, has since been safely removed and detonated. Maui Police say the ordnance, identified as a M301A3 81 millimeter mortar illumination round was safely transported to the Ukumehame Firing range for safe detonation. Maui Now.

Kauai

Mochi making, a traditional New Year’s practice, got in the way of the first visit by Gov. David Ige and his family to Kauai since being elected governor in early November. Garden Island.

Tensions bubbled to the surface during a Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association meeting on Saturday, where one of the main topics of the day was HoKua Place, a planned 769-home community behind Kapaa Middle School. Garden Island.

Two luxury condo owners are claiming they were mislead and overcharged as their development surrounded by blight was converted into a timeshare resort. Garden Island.

Lanai

Lanai's only movie theater reopened Dec. 20 as Hale Keaka - "theater" in Hawaiian - after being closed since the 1990s. The Pineapple Isle landmark underwent a $4 million renovation and features a modern interior and exterior reflecting the character of the island in the 1930s. Maui News.

Hawaii real estate trends for March 2013

Data courtesy Prudential Locations LLC