Sunscreen, pesticide, fake service animal bans move to governor as Legislature nears final days, Big Island braces for Kilauea volcano eruption, Honolulu homeless sweep nets tons of trash, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii House of Representatives PC: House Majority

Lawmakers say they made good on their pledge to address the state’s homeless and affordable-housing crises with strategies they described as groundbreaking and bold during the 2018 legislative session, which ends Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

The Most Progressive Legislative Session In A Long Time. From approving medical aid in dying to banning certain sunscreens and pesticide chemicals, legislators passed bills they only thought about in years past. Civil Beat.

After months of back and forth, lawmakers have settled on dozens of measures that could soon become law. The following list contains some of the measures now heading to the governor's office for approval. KHON2.

Bills awaiting the governor's action can be found here.

Hawaii lawmakers on Tuesday passed a measure that would ban sunscreen containing oxybenzone in an effort to protect coral reefs. Senators and representatives also voted to prohibit licensed professional counselors from attempting to change the sexual orientation of minors. Associated Press.

Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill today banning the sale of sunscreens containing chemicals believed to be harmful to coral reefs. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers approved a ban Tuesday on the sale of sunscreens with chemicals that could be harmful to the environment. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s Legislature has approved the first chlorpyrifos ban in the nation as a component of a pesticide disclosure bill approved by both the Senate and the House Tuesday. Garden Island.

A bill that would fine people fraudulently representing their pets as service dogs was approved unanimously on both floors of the state Legislature today, and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would penalize people who falsely present their pets as service animals passed its final reading Tuesday and now goes to Gov. David Ige for final consideration. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii moved a step closer to expanding protections for students discriminated against on the basis of sex, gender identity or sexual orientation when the Legislature passed a bill Tuesday establishing a law to prohibit such treatment. Civil Beat.

Hawaii tourism officials are offering a sweet deal to six New York City workaholics: Come to Hawaii for an all-expenses-paid, week-long vacation to "work from home" — island style. Hawaii News Now.

A state judge has scheduled a hearing on state Rep. Andria Tupola’s petition for a temporary restraining order against fellow Hawaii Republican Party member Eric Ryan. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii regulators have finally approved an on-bill financing program to boost the adoption of clean energy technology across the state, almost seven years after lawmakers passed a corresponding piece of legislation to investigate such a program. Pacific Business News.

Matson Inc. doubled its profit in the first quarter despite delivering about the same number of shipping containers to Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu-based shipping company Matson Inc. reported net income of $14.2 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 102 percent compared to net income of $7 million, or 16 cents per diluted share, during last year’s comparable period. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

City clears out 5 tons of trash during sweep of Kakaako parks. The estimated 80 homeless people living in Kakaako Waterfront Park and its sister parks had dwindled to about 30 to 50 Monday afternoon following days of warnings about the impending sweep. Star-Advertiser.

Price tag grows to move homeless off state land — and keep them off. Hawaii News Now.

A recreation center at the University of Hawaii needs hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs, only four years after opening. KHON2.

Sidewalk Extensions Please Some But Infuriate Others. A City Council committee passes a bill that would prohibit any more extensions, even though they’re intended to increase safety. Civil Beat.

City Councilmember Ikaika Anderson is spearheading a measure to crack down on illegal monster homes. Hawaii News Now.

A majority of condo owners at the 35-story Marco Polo have voted in favor of retrofitting the building with automated sprinklers several months after a deadly fire raged through the building, killing four people. Associated Press.

Another high rise is being planned for Ward Village. It will be 41 stories and will have 570 condo units. KHON2.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will conduct anti-terrorism force protection training exercises Wednesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 3 from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. KITV.

State crews completed a four-day clean-up of the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor Tuesday. KITV.

The city intends to enter into a public-private partnership with Topgolf Hawai‘i, which would invest $50 million replacing the Ala Wai Golf Course’s traditional driving range with a high-tech version and other golf-related activities. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

An intrusion of magma into Kilauea’s East Rift Zone shook the ground under lower Puna residents’ feet Tuesday and stirred worries about a new volcanic vent opening near populated areas. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Civil Defense was activated at 3 a.m. Tuesday in response to a significant increase in seismic activity and deformation — changes in the surface of a volcano — following the collapse of the Puu Oo crater floor on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. Star-Advertiser.

Earthquakes, Crater Collapse On Kilauea May Indicate New Eruption. An “intrusion” of lava could affect a popular access point where people can hike or bike into a viewing area. Associated Press.

A half mile long, steaming crack was discovered just west of Puu Oo crater during an overflight by scientists on Tuesday, following the collapse of the crater floor the day before. Big Island Video News.

New USGS Map Shows Location of New Crack in Kilauea. Big Island Now.

Residents in Puna are being urged to be on alert after a series of small earthquakes in Kilauea volcano's east rift zone, which may indicate an eruption is imminent. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii State Senate passed a Senate Bill on Tuesday that would create a Hilo Community Economic District. Big Island Video News.

Effort seeks to preserve native trees south of Palamanui campus. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Starting May 1, the County of Maui’s free Electronic Recycling Program will no longer accept a list of items including: DVDs and VCRs; phones; audio-visual equipment including AV screens, cameras and projectors; transmission devices; audio equipment including receivers; CD and record players, amplifiers or speakers. Maui Now.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard hosted a “Congress On Your Corner” event at the Queen Kaahumanu Center in Kahului on Monday, where she visited with local residents and updated them on her work in Washington, DC.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Three meetings scheduled this week are aimed to respond to questions about disaster recovery, health concerns, relief loans and assistance. Garden Island.

Rum Distilleries Keep Hawaii’s Sugar Industry Alive. The islands’ cane crop will never return to the production levels of plantation days, but it’s essential for these local businesses. Civil Beat.

Ige mulls aquarium collecting ban bill, no charges yet for airport dog shooting, Hawaiian actors vie for Kamehameha movie, shipping firm considers Hawaii route, 40 apply for Kauai auditor, 30-day reprieve for immigrant coffee farmer, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Manini and other fish © 2017 All Hawaii News

A bill that would place a moratorium on all aquarium fishing in Hawaii — except for those operators already in possession of permits — is awaiting the signature of Gov. David Ige. West Hawaii Today.

According to the latest "Out of Reach" report by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Hawaii's average two-bedroom renter needs to earn $35.20 per hour. Hawaii News Now.

Another company said it is making a run at starting a Hawaii cargo shipping service that would break up a market duopoly and could benefit consumers. Star-Advertiser.

Workers at a Philadelphia shipyard are building vessels for a new shipping line that will soon enter the Hawaii market. Hawaii News Now.

Dozens of professional and aspiring Native Hawaiian actors answered a casting call Thursday night in hopes of playing the role of King Kamehameha in an upcoming movie called “The Islands.” Star-Advertiser.

Auditions for the upcoming movie "The Islands" were held at the Japanese Cultural Center Thursday night. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Criminal charges will not be filed, at least “for now,” against a private security officer who fatally shot a family dog at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on March 28, state Attorney General Doug Chin said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Pedestrians caught looking at mobile electronic devices, including cellphones, while crossing the street could be fined under a bill before the Honolulu City Council.  Star-Advertiser.

A state board trying to overhaul affordable-housing requirements in Kakaako will hold a new round of public hearings after suggesting additional tweaks to proposed rule changes at a meeting Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Under pressure from developers and other opponents, a state board charged with managing development in Kakaako has rejected rule changes intended to make sure certain housing units always remain affordable. Civil Beat.

People Who Have The Most to Gain From Rail Are Still Skeptical. Even at the route’s western edge, where residents face daunting traffic congestion to get downtown, the transit project’s support is spotty. Civil Beat.

Repaving work on Date Street near Kapahulu is almost complete, but a few intersections are missing important markings like crosswalks. KITV.

Residents say removal of crosswalks makes busy street dangerous for pedestrians. KHON2.

Turning seven acres agricultural land into residential lots, to build homes. That's the plan for a property owner in Haleiwa. KITV.

State health officials confirmed seven more cases of the mumps on Oahu this week. This brings the 2017 total to 96. KITV.

What was touted for decades as 20 of the “finest lanes in Hawaii” for bowling could soon become someone’s new dining table, butcher block, workbench or something else made from the alley floors of Waialae Bowl. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel could again be up for grabs. The state Land Board will consider today whether to auction the land lease for the Banyan Drive property at a later date. Tribune-Herald.

A Hawaii island coffee farmer who entered the United States illegally from Mexico nearly three decades ago has been granted a 30-day reprieve on a deportation order. Associated Press.

The government gave Andres Magana Ortiz 30 more days in the U.S, but there is a possibility the father of three could still be sent back to Mexico. KITV.

Starting today, about 100 companies from around the globe will be represented on the Big Island as part of a four-day event aimed at selling Hawaii as a prime spot for meetings, conventions and incentive trips. Tribune-Herald.

It’s likely the sentencing of Peter Kema Sr. for the 1997 death of his 6-year-old son, Peter Kema Jr., won’t happen today as scheduled because authorities continue to look for the boy’s remains and because Kema hasn’t yet been given a polygraph test to determine if he told the truth about where he left the boy’s body. Tribune-Herald.

A magnitude-5.3 earthquake centered near the 61g lava flow on Hawaii Island startled a tour group Thursday morning, as they hiked out to see the volcanic activity. Big Island Video News.

Maui

The Pukalani Country Club has put up 455 solar panels that can generate 220-megawatt hours of power for the Maui Electric Co. grid, the golf course general manager said. Maui News.

Wailuku Water Co. hopes the state Public Utilities Commission approves its proposed sale of about 4,500 acres in the next two to three months to survive mounting losses that threaten to close the company, its president said Tuesday. Maui News.

Kauai

Despite advertising in multiple publications and online and interviewing applicants, the county auditor position has remained empty for nearly two years. Garden Island.

The Planning Department is recommending the Planning Commission approve the General Plan Update when it meets Tuesday. Garden Island.

An energy project on the Hawaii island Kauai could set the island on a track to surpass the new goal of 70 percent energy generation from renewable resources by 2030. Associated Press.

Tropic Care Kauai 2017 gets underway Monday. Garden Island.

Molokai

E. coli bacteria has been detected in an East Molokai water source, the Ualapue Shaft, according to the county Department of Water Supply. Maui News.

Tourists still flocking to Hawaii, Schatz out-raises Hanabusa in Senate race, Hawaii youth don't vote, Civil Beat takes on government records costs, surf threatens Sunset Beach homes, Kauai councilwoman opts for manager job, Maui mulls windmills at landfill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hula girls file photo (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

Hawaii set a record for the number of tourists in 2012 and will most likely set another one this year. Star-Advertiser.

Sen. Brian Schatz raised nearly $678,000 during the July-September fundraising cycle, according to his re-election campaign. He now has more than $2 million in cash on hand. His Democratic primary challenger, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, raised about $441,000 for the third quarter, according to her Senate campaign. Hanabusa has raised more than $1.1 million to date and has about $772,000 in cash on hand. Civil Beat.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has expanded his fundraising edge over U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in their Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, as Hanabusa struggled through a subpar quarter. Schatz raised more than $677,900 from July through September, according to a draft of his campaign finance report, and has brought in $2.7 million overall. Hanabusa raised more than $440,800 for the quarter and has brought in $1.1 million, her campaign announced, including money transferred from her House account. Star-Advertiser.

Fewer than one third of people in the islands between the ages of 18 and 29 bothered to vote in the presidential election that pitted Hawaii native Barack Obama against Republican John McCain. It was by far the worst youth turnout in the country. Such numbers got teachers wondering whether more young people would have capitalized on their democratic duty if they had gotten a more substantive dose of Civics 101 before becoming adults. Civil Beat.

Attorneys representing churches being sued over renting Hawaii public school buildings for services said last week that the churches aren't doing anything wrong and the state knows how the facilities are being used. Star-Advertiser.

The state of Hawaii has enacted a temporary hiring freeze for vacant positions within the executive branch, effective immediately, according to a memorandum signed by Acting Gov. Shan Tsutsui on Friday afternoon. Pacific Business News.

Neil Abercrombie’s job as Hawaii governor takes him around the world. Tourism meetings in Tokyo. A trade show in Los Angeles. A forum in Beijing. Those kinds of trips sound pricey. But independently reviewing the travel expenses to see if they are worth taxpayers’ money is definitely cost-prohibitive. Civil Beat.

The arguably unreasonable cost to check up on where our governor has been traveling and what he’s been doing while he’s away was the final straw for us in the often frustrating pursuit of public information. Civil Beat.

State roundup for October 13. Associated Press.

Oahu
The transportation company responsible for a molasses spill that killed more than 26,000 fish and other marine life in Hawaii said Friday that it had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury for documents relating to the spill. Associated Press.

Bureaucratic snags continue to stall attempts to reach a long-term solution to the city's Haiku Stairs disagreement. On one side are hiking groups and environmental interests who want to see the long-stalled hiking path reopened so hikers can once again see the panoramic views at the top of the 2,800-foot path. On the other are Haiku residents who in recent years have seen their properties trashed and trespassed on by hikers visiting the stairs illegally at night to avoid detection by a security guard. Star-Advertiser.

With a multimillion-dollar land sale to the Roman Catholic Church gone sour, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu says it's moving away from the school's original concept of selling or leasing lands surrounding its Kapolei campus to pay for operations. It instead will seek more public funds from the state Legislature next year. Star-Advertiser.

A professional surfer's Sunset Beach home is now threatened by the very waves he learned to surf on. And the man's father says that ten other homes in the neighborhood remain threatened by the surf and that the state is doing nothing to protect them. Hawaii News Now.

New York, Chicago and about 30 other cities across the United States already offer public bike-share programs, through which bicycles can be rented to get around and dropped off at various stations. Now, grass-roots advocates have teamed with city and state leaders, hoping to bring bike-sharing to Hono­lulu's urban core by the summer of 2015. It would not be Oahu's first bike-share program. A pilot program in Kai­lua that started in 2011 already pays for itself through user fees, state Department of Health officials say. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

This month, for the first time, Hawaii will join an international effort to prepare citizens for the impact of a large earthquake. Known as The Great Hawaii Shakeout, the informal, statewide event is an opportunity for schools, businesses and individuals to practice what to do in the event of an earthquake. Tribune-Herald.

A 6-month-old male seal, called Kamilo and known by the bleach mark on his back, H05, was relocated after nipping two triathletes who were swimming in Kamakahonu Bay on Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

With a bill to restrict genetically modified crops passed out of committee, the Hawaii County Council will have only a few more chances to decide whether it wants to adopt the legislation, and, perhaps just as important, how it would be implemented. Tribune-Herald.

Business for contractors working on big jobs is up on Hawaii Island, a labor union organizer said. West Hawaii Today.

Shark victim makes triumphant return to water. Tribune-Herald.

Maui
Whale season in Hawaii officially started with a splash with sightings of two whales off Maui less than one week into October, and two more Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Maui County is planning to build three wind turbines at the Central Maui Landfill to offset thousands of dollars in energy bills at the site and is looking for prospective bidders. Maui News.

Officials with Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. are apologizing for what residents are saying is an excessive amount of ash from sugar cane fields burning. Associated Press.

Furloughed workers at Haleakala National Park have been "glued to the news" and eager to get back to work as the government shutdown ended its second week, park workers said. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County Council Vice Chair Nadine Nakamura, who topped the council elections last year, announced Friday she is leaving her position to replace county Managing Director Gary Heu. Garden Island.

Kauai heading down a slippery slope. Garden Island.

Several events supporting traditional marriage are scheduled on Kauai. Garden Island.

Molokai

Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s franchises to provide cable service in Maui County expire at the end of 2013. The current franchises were issued by the State of Hawaii more than 15 years ago, and the cable company has filed an application with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) to continue providing cable service in Maui County for the next 20 years. Molokai Dispatch.

Big Island jolted with small quake, coral groups converge online, Honolulu cops seek bit parts on Hawaii Five-O, shark tour legislation stalled, more news

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook Big Island residents at 6:30 p.m. Monday. It was felt by island residents, but no tsunami was generated.

Big Island residents experienced a good shaking from an earthquake yesterday, but no tsunami was generated from it.

An earthquake on the Big Island triggered an alert over the airwaves. It said the quake did not generate a tsunami, but the alert did cause a little bit of a mix-up.

Coral reef-loving advocacy groups and government agencies are collaborating to simplify ocean monitoring programs in an effort to increase the participation of Maui's "citizen scientists."

Costs are going up and state services are going down, as the fallout from layoffs and furloughs continues to settle across government agencies responsible for everything from food and rabies inspections to issuance of birth and death certificates.

Efforts to limit or halt shark-viewing tours in the Islands through legislation have stalled in the Legislature, but the proposed bills are not dead and may resurface in the weeks to come.

Detective Paul Nagata Jr.'s father played a cop on the original "Hawaii Five-0."

Project Prevention, a national organization that pays drug addicts and alcoholics $300 cash to get sterilized or use long-term birth control, will be in Honolulu for the first time today, tomorrow and Thursday in an ongoing effort to eradicate substance-exposed births.
Fish have mysteriously returned to the ponds at the Hawaii state Capitol.

Big Island conservatives want to make it harder for the county government to take away their rights or raise taxes.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for leeward sections of Maui County.

Someone may have set the fire that destroyed a multimillion-dollar home Saturday evening in a gated Kapalua community.

Former Princeville resident Linda Grover, whose daughter, son-in-law and seven grandchildren live in Anahola, is being remembered both as a patient peace advocate and tireless worker bent on getting a national and international holiday dedicated to world peace.

Adding another staff attorney or two to the county’s in-house law firm could actually save taxpayers money if it means fewer cases are assigned to costly special outside counsel, Kauai County Attorney Al Castillo told the Cost Control Commission on Monday.

Moon rocks missing, Furlough Fridays begin, quake rumbles Big Island and other news around the state

A former NASA senior special agent says the state cannot account for five priceless moon rocks that were given as gifts to the people of Hawaii in celebration of mankind's age-old quest to travel to and safely return from the moon.

Public schools are shuttered today throughout the Islands after a federal judge yesterday refused to block the state's decision to furlough teachers for 17 Fridays through the rest of the school year

The state courts system is still deciding when its Hawaii Government Employees Association employees will be furloughed. So, while state courts will be open on the next two Fridays, the state's biggest courthouse will have no parking for the general public.

The state's reinventing-government task force, made up of Hawaii business leaders and lawmakers, met for the first time yesterday to brainstorm ways to keep the budget-strapped Hawaii government running in a sour economy.

Allen Doane is retiring as chief executive officer and chairman of Alexander & Baldwin Inc. at the end of this year amid leadership changes at the only one of Hawaii's original Big Five sugar companies that continues its dominant role.

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake hit about 60 miles offshore of Hilo at 11:13 p.m. Thursday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website.

The biggest capital construction project in state history gains steam. The City and County of Honolulu awards the construction of the first phase of the Honolulu rail transit project. And Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann says it will shake up Hawaii's economy.

A county meeting on the voter initiative that made marijuana possession by adults for personal use the lowest law enforcement priority was marked by a series of verbal pot shots.

Sensing sure defeat, minority Hawaii County Council members on Wednesday pulled a tried-and-true parliamentary ploy to keep their transparency bill alive.

Word that West Hawaii may not see its new YMCA facility come to fruition for up to a decade may prompt a re-evaluation by a major donor.

Becoming Miss Kona Coffee is no easy feat.

Disgruntled community members are upset that public access to Larsen’s Beach in Moloa‘a may soon be obstructed by a proposed cattle ranch fenceline 110 feet from the shore.

There are six boxes or bundles of Native Hawaiian remains, iwi kupuna, at the Kaua‘i repository, and members of the Kaua‘i/Ni‘ihau Island Burial Council need to decide how to re-inter them, said a state Department of Land and Natural Resources staff member.

Top Hawaii Headlines: Tuesday morning edition

Faced with a projected deficit of close to $2.6 million for the fiscal year ending today, University of Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan is looking to hold the line on the budgets for the school's sports teams while keeping ticket prices at current levels.

Battered by what he termed "one of the toughest economies we've ever faced as an athletic department," University of Hawai'i athletic director Jim Donovan said he expects to report a $2.58 million deficit for the fiscal year that closes today.

The first swine flu death in the state and the hospitalization of another person raised concern about the spreading infection that has stricken 545 people in Hawaii.

The state Department of Health yesterday confirmed Hawai'i's first swine flu death, saying the H1N1 virus contributed to the death of a person at Tripler Army Medical Center 11 days ago.

Hawaii motorists have until Tuesday night to beat a gas tax credit expiration that will cause the price to go up 12 cents a gallon.

The earthquake that shook Maui on Sunday night was the most powerful to originate under the island in more than five years, but no damage was reported, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The March 2006 Ka Loko Reservoir Dam disaster that claimed seven lives and wrought untold millions of dollars in property damage also had a considerable impact on the farming operations of the surrounding Kilauea area, a new report shows.

A woman who was sexually assaulted by her mentor and spiritual leader for at least seven years starting when she was 12 years old watched a judge sentence Manuel Guillermo Taboada to 10 years in prison yesterday.

It was his longest statement but short of an apology to the girl he sexually assaulted in the name of religion.

Maui Community College enrollment is up by 56 percent.