Trump approves federal assistance for lava-struck homeowners, AG mismanaged asset seizure program, Honolulu ethics audit quashed by city, state settles special ed lawsuit, Hana pier to come down, scientists debunk gems from volcano stories, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lava enters sea, June 14 PC:USGS

President Donald Trump approved on Thursday Gov. David Ige’s request for federal individual assistance programs to aid residents affected by the Kilauea eruption, just one day after the request was made. Tribune-Herald.

President Donald Trump has approved Hawaii’s request for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Big Island residents whose homes have been lost or damaged due to the ongoing Kilauea Volcano eruptions. Star-Advertiser.

President Donald Trump approved Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s request for individual assistance for Hawaii County residents and businesses who lost homes and property in the ongoing eruption of the island's Kilauea volcano that began on May 3. Pacific Business News.

President Trump Approves Hawaii County Individual Assistance Request. Big Island Video News.

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The state agreed to pay $10.25 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and the parents and legal guardians of special-needs students whose public education was cut off at age 20 instead of 22 by a 2010 state law. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Will Pay $10.25 Million To Settle Special Education Lawsuit. The state violated federal law by denying services to disabled students before they reached the age of 22. Civil Beat.

There is a major payout from the Department of Education to settle a class-action lawsuit. There are 495 students who are part of the class action lawsuit. KHON2.

Auditor: Hawaii AG Mismanaged Asset Seizure Program. The AG failed to account for forfeited property and didn’t spend $2 million for drug prevention programs as required by law, the report found. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Gets $3.2 Million To Thwart Election Hacking. Russian hacking in 2016 prompted Congress to bolster state elections security with new funding. Civil Beat.

Hawaii will receive a portion of the federal Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriations Bill, which the Senate Appropriations Committee passed on Thursday. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has issued request for proposals to offer funding support to cultural and community organizations in 2019. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate is holding at its all-time low of 2 percent. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines, two major carriers serving the Hawaii market, are seeking to create a joint venture, which they say would provide consumers with lower fares, increased capacity and more choices. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines has possible joint venture with Japan Airlines. KHON2.

Three months after launching the first phase of their comprehensive partnership, Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines have filed an application for antitrust immunity to create a joint venture. Pacific Business News.

Nearly 700 attendees are at VERGE-Hawaii, the Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit in Waikiki this week. One of the topics discussed was sustainable tourism. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Ethics Commission Audit Quashed On Advice Of City’s Lawyer. The Honolulu auditor was concerned its results might be “discoverable” in a lawsuit filed by Louis and Katherine Kealoha. Civil Beat.

Allegations surface of equipment misuse for profit by DLNR employees. Hawaii News Now.

Court reports mixed on Kawananakoa. The special master hired to advise the judge is recommending that Kawananakoa, 92, be declared mentally capable of changing or revoking her trust and also of removing and replacing the trustee. Star-Advertiser.

Stores mandated to charge 15-cents per plastic, paper bag. KHON2.

Power outage kept Ewa Beach community in the dark for more than 30 hours. KHON2.

Crafting a king: City commissioned statue of Kamehameha III to be completed ahead of La Hoihoi Ea. KITV.

Hawaii Island

Homeowners, renters, business owners and nonprofits that suffered losses in Hawaii island’s volcanic eruption that began May 3 can now start applying for federal monetary aid. Star-Advertiser.

The County of Hawaii announces that residents who suffered damage or losses from the recent Kilauea volcanic eruption and earthquakes, can now register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Big Island Now.

The Hawaii Department of Health announced Thursday plans to install 10 new ambient air quality monitoring stations across Hawaii Island. West Hawaii Today.

Ashfall lowers air quality for residents of Ocean View. Star-Advertiser.

3 pm Eruption Update – Chemical Analysis, UH Says No Falling Gems. Big Island Video News.

Green gems raining from the sky at Kilauea? Well ... not exactly. Hawaii News Now.

DLNR provides emergency cinder resource vital for tropical floral businesses on Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

Survivors of past Hawaii lava recall despair and opportunity. Associated Press.

Now that a finding of no significant environmental impact has been published for a new resources management plan for South Point, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is ready to take up a project residents have requested for three decades — as soon as it finds the money. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The new head of the Office of Council Services for Maui County is Maria Zielinski, who resigned abruptly in December as director of the state Department of Taxation. Maui News.

Removal of the deteriorating Hana pier, which has been in the works since 2016, may not take place until 2021, according to the project’s final environmental impact statement. Maui News.

Energy office to hold meetings on utility ownership. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai residents rebuilding after the flood eligible for expedited permits. On Friday, Mayor Bernard Carvalho plans to sign an emergency ordinance to speed up the permitting process for impacted residents to rebuild over the next 60 days. Hawaii News Now.

Unemployment rate rises on Kauai. The unemployment rate for May on Kauai was 2.1 percent, up from 1.8 percent in April, but down from 2.5 percent in May 2017. Garden Island.

Molokai

A former manager of a defunct credit union on the island of Molokai has been sentenced to seven years in prison for embezzling more than $1 million with another employee. Associated Press.

Federal officials are investigating after a monk seal was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Molokai. Maui News.

Chin apologizes for old anti-gay speech, bill criminalizes bogus service animals, committee chairmen refuse to televise meetings, Honolulu Police Commission chairman up for vote, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Service dog opens door PC: Pete Markham, Creative Commons

Bill targets growing problem of bogus service animals. Senate Bill 2461, introduced Jan. 19, would make the act of falsely claiming an animal to be a service animal a misdemeanor offense, punishable by a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail or up to $1,000 for the first offense. Tribune-Herald.

Jail time and fines for owners of ‘fake’ service animals? Hawaii Island Sen. Russell Ruderman told KHON2 a gray area in the Americans with Disabilities Act has allowed people to abuse this law. KHON2.

Lt. Gov. Doug Chin is apologizing for an anti-gay speech that he made more than 20 years ago in church. The angry address, which he delivered at the Oahu Church of Christ, is now being used against him in his race for Congress. Hawaii News Now.

The Only Three Legislative Committees You’ll Almost Never See On TV. Despite the difficulties of attending legislative hearings in person in Hawaii these House committee chairs have nixed televising their hearings. Civil Beat.

The Department of Human Services Wants Multigenerational Approach to Address Poverty. The state department with the largest operating budget is asking lawmakers to help make it more efficient. Hawaii Public Radio.

A state Senate bill calling for greater transparency in video game gambling systems is the subject of a public hearing today. Tribune-Herald.

Kamehameha Schools has acknowledged that the $80 million settlement its agreed to pay to victims in a decades-old sex abuse scandal could affect future educational programs or the planned expansion of existing ones. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Commission members could decide Wednesday whether to retain embattled Chairman Max Sword as their leader or to elect a new one. Star-Advertiser.

How Honolulu’s New Police Chief Is Shaking Up A Troubled Department. In her first four months, Chief Susan Ballard is disrupting old policies and practices with a new vision. Civil Beat.

Man’s troubles with law affect sons’ Punahou School enrollment. The case of a man accused of sexually molesting a girl and showing a pornographic video to another while they were at sleepovers at his home is sparking spirited debate about just how far Hawaii’s private schools can go to penalize a child for the alleged sins of a parent. Star-Advertiser.

The mother of a Punahou School first-grader has sued the private institution over its attempt to expel her son because of the disruption stemming from his father’s troubles with the law. Star-Advertiser.

A Kids Museum Struggles Amidst Homeless Squalor. But Loretta Yajima of the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center in Kakaako will not be deterred from fulfilling its mission. Civil Beat.

Neglect for an Ewa Beach park.  Is the Mayor of Honolulu playing favorite when it comes to funding parks around Oahu? KITV.

Whole Foods Market will open its largest Hawaii store by early summer in Kakaako after a dozen years of planning and setbacks. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii prepares to send another 'Lei of Aloha' to Florida after school shooting. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

A move to take County Council budget planning behind closed doors will be heard today by the council Finance Committee. West Hawaii Today.

Mohouli Senior Residences in Hilo completed Phase 2 of construction and is fully occupied. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Council is donating contingency relief funds to purchase stealth cameras to monitor areas prone to criminal activity in Puna. Big Island Video News.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s months-long Mars simulation mission was suspended today — five days after it began — because of a medical incident. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Budget panel moves toward buying building. The property, once acquired, would be torn down to make way for the Wailuku civic complex development. Maui News.

An informational meeting on the permitting process and land entitlements will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the West Maui Senior Center. Maui News.

Yellow tubes aiding in ocean rescues in south Maui. The president of a group that installed rescue tube stations along south Maui beaches says while he is happy the tubes are working, he wishes they weren't necessary. Associated Press.

Kauai

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency says the total cost of a failed missile test off of Kauai was $130 million. Garden Island.

Two Kauai County officials are scheduled to give a presentation on housing at this week’s meeting of the Lihue Business Association. Garden Island.

Lei of Aloha for World Peace is activated again, this time engaging schools across the state to weave ti leaf leis to send to the families of the 17 students and teachers killed in Parkland, Fla., last week. Garden Island.

Judge strikes down Maui GMO ban, illegal immigrants can get Hawaii driver's licenses, Brower bruised in homeless fight, milk price drop threatens local dairy, Honolulu plastic bag ban begins, county faces ADA lawsuit over buses, park smoking ban, environmental court begins, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Anti-GMO rally in Kauai, courtesy photo

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a Maui County ban on the cultivation of genetically engineered crops is pre-empted by federal and state law and invalid. Associated Press.

A federal judge Tuesday invalidated a Maui County ban on the cultivation of genetically engineered crops, ruling that the prohibition is pre-empted by federal and state law. Star-Advertiser.

A federal judge has invalidated Maui County’s moratorium on genetically engineered crops that voters approved last fall. Judge Susan Mollway said in a ruling filed Tuesday that the ordinance is “invalid and unenforceable” because it is preempted by state and federal law. That’s similar to the reasoning that Judge Barry Kurren relied upon to strike down both Hawaii County’s partial ban on genetically modified farming and Kauai County’s pesticide disclosure law last year. Civil Beat.

According to a federal judge, the initiative to put a hold on the use of GMO's in Maui County gets trumped by federal and state law. KITV4.

A federal judge today ruled that the Maui GMO Initiative passed by Maui voters in November 2014 is invalid because the county does not have the authority over the matter.  The order states that the County of Maui GMO ordinance is preempted and exceeds the county’s authority to impose fines. Maui Now.

Anti-GMO activists, who celebrated when the moratorium passed in November, are now vowing to keep fighting after a judge invalidated the ban on Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed a bill into law that creates a limited purpose driver’s license for people who don’t have documents to prove they are legally allowed to live in the U.S. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed a bill that dedicates nearly $3 million of general funds to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs over the next two years. Civil Beat.

Among bills Gov. David Ige signed into law Tuesday are measures requiring members of certain councils, boards and commissions to undergo training in Native Hawaiian customs and rights; making it lawful to use human remains for traditional Hawaiian cultural burial practices; and creating a new exception for people without proof of U.S. residency to get driver's licenses. Star-Advertiser.

Governor David Ige signed a bill into law this morning that makes it mandatory for certain state councils, boards and commissions to attend a course on Native Hawaiian customs and rights to be administered by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Maui Now.

Hawai’i’s new Environmental Court system will be activated statewide July 1st.   It’s only the second specialized court of its kind in the nation, but has broad jurisdiction on almost everything dealing with the environment. Hawaii Public Radio.

A ban on smoking at state parks and beaches goes into effect Wednesday, expanding on another prohibition already in place in certain city and county parks in Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Last week was former Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s 77th birthday and the longtime Hawaii politician was supposed to be celebrating it in part with the long-awaited unveiling of his official state portrait. Instead, Abercrombie’s space in the gallery of ex-governors that line the walls in the current governor’s office is still empty. Civil Beat.

The West Coast is the best coast when it comes to Hawaii tourism's visitor markets. Total visitor spending from the U.S. West jumped 19.9 percent in May to $447.4 million, up from $373.2 million in May 2014, according to data from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

A day after he was assaulted while taking photos at a large Kakaako homeless encampment, state Rep. Tom Brower insisted the attack was unprovoked. But the family of two teens involved said it came after the lawmaker laughed at the boys. Star-Advertiser.

Rep. Tom Brower Suffers Facial Injuries in Altercation at Homeless Camp. Civil Beat.

After three years of warnings, it's finally here. The city's plastic bag ban becomes law Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Army divers said initial examination of the sunken fishing vessel Judy K at Pier 16 shows it is intact, but the earliest they could attempt to float the partially submerged 77-foot boat for removal would be September. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A Maui man on a mission to improve access for the disabled across the state is on the brink of settling a federal lawsuit against Hawaii County government on allegations the county’s Hele-On bus system isn’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Agriculture, bowing to pressure from Meadow Gold Dairies, unanimously approved a 23 percent drop in the state-set wholesale milk price paid to the last locally owned dairy. Hawaii island's Cloverleaf Dairy owner Ed Boteilho Jr. said he may be forced to close his dairy. Star-Advertiser.

Citing safety concerns, University of Hawaii kept the road to Mauna Kea’s summit closed above the 9,200-foot elevation Monday as workers searched for signs of damage following last week’s Thirty Meter Telescope protest. Tribune-Herald.

A new environmental court makes its debut today with the task of handling cases that involve the often complex and specialized rules governing human interaction with lands and waterways. Big Island judges have been selected to hear cases that are now being assigned to an environmental schedule — proceedings which in the past were mixed with other criminal and civil matters on court dockets. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Ridao retiring as director of Housing and Human Concerns. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County Council Vice Chair Ross Kagawa is standing by a comment he made during a recent interview that said a potential upside of the new bed-and-breakfast ordinance is that it could give locals a chance to buy properties that can no longer be rented out by tourists. Garden Island.

Kaiser Permanente is planning to open a clinic on Kauai early next year, with the goal of providing subscribers with greater access to doctors and reducing patient wait times. Garden Island.