Plantations put to use, cooling Waikiki, ed board debated, early kindergarten pau, political debates continue, more Hawaii news

Dirt is flying on fallow plantation lands for the first time in 15 years, as Mayor Billy Kenoi's administration digs out old roads and prepares to lay fencing for an innovative community project. West Hawaii Today.

Two years into the county's legal battle with Molokai Properties over who should manage utilities set up by the now-defunct Molokai Ranch, county officials estimate that the parties have spent well over $1 million in legal fees, which could go even higher if a settlement isn't reached before a planned October trial. Maui News.

Hotel owners in Waikiki are looking at the possibility of using cold sea water to air-condition their buildings in a move that could substantially cut electricity costs and help the tourism industry market the famed resort area as a green destination. Star-Advertiser.

The federal government has turned to a 130-year-old Hawaii sugar grower for help in powering the Navy and weaning the nation off a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Associated Press.

For years, the Molokai branch of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, otherwise known as MoMISC, has battled stubborn invasive species with science and technology. Molokai Dispatch.

Parents, school officials, students, business leaders and even a current school board member used their Sunday morning to urge voters to replace an elected Board of Education with one appointed by Hawaii's governor. Star-Advertiser.

Students, parents, and community leaders of Hawaii's Children First gathered today to urge voters to pass a ballot initiative to get rid of electing members to the Board of Education. KHON2.

The state Department of Education continues its quest to obtain a federal "Race to the Top" school reform grant this week. Associated Press.

A new law will end junior kindergarten in public schools in 2013 but could be the catalyst for the creation of a state-funded universal preschool program. Star-Advertiser.

The fate of several Hawaii schools lies in the hands of Board of Education members. The Board will hear recommendations on Keanae Elementary, on Maui. Hawaii News Now.

Leaders of a couple of environmental watchdog groups said this week that they would keep an eye on the U.S. Navy's plans to conduct military readiness training and testing in Hawaiian waters as well as off the coast of Southern California. Maui News.

The dollars rolling into the two Democratic candidates for governor are big. Civil Beat.

If the statewide polls are right, it’s anybody’s guess who is going to represent the Democratic Party against the top Republican challenger in the Nov. 2 general election. Garden Island.

Former Honolulu Mayor and Democratic candidate for Hawai‘i governor Mufi Hannemann says he would start fixing the state’s economy on his first day in office. Garden Island.

The night Bob Jacobson lost his 6th District council seat to Guy Enriques, he had a ready explanation. Tribune-Herald.

Three of the four candidates for Honolulu mayor will debate before business leaders this week. Hawaii News Now.

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) is holding its second round of statewide public informational meetings to discuss and solicit comments on the fiscally constrained Draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for Fiscal Years 2011-14 (+2).  Lahaina News.

A supervisor at Lihue Airport on Kauai is under investigation in an embezzlement case, the latest in a string of problems at the airport. Lihue Airport employees complain lax management at the facility has led to several embarrassing incidents there. KITV.

A year after city officials shutdown one of the entrances to China Walls, the gate is still locked. KITV.

Edward Dawe's home looks directly over Mililani Mauka Recreation Center 7.  The proposed site where Clearwire is hoping to install an 80-foot tall tree-like internet antenna tower, that would provide additional internet service to upper reaches of Mililani Mauka. KHON2.

Monday pundits: Leonard a shoo-in for Supreme Court, Democrat majority safe in state Legislature, Hanauma Bay needs work, classrooms fill with the unemployed, more Hawaii news

More than one million visitors from around the world enjoy Hanauma Bay each year, but some complain the educational facilities there are not up to par. KHON2.

A new Kaua‘i nonprofit is working to spread awareness about the ongoing struggle marine mammals face in Hawaiian waters. Garden Island.

Blue ‘Aina making a difference, one reef at a time. Lahaina News.

Democrats expect to hold overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate in the November elections but could drop a handful of seats if Republicans capitalize on voter angst over the economy and civil unions. Star-Advertiser.

Here is the Star-Advertiser's first look at several potentially competitive state House and Senate campaigns, based on information from political strategists and party insiders. Star-Advertiser.

The betting in legal and political circles around town is that Katherine Leonard will be Hawaii's next supreme court chief justice. Civil Beat.

While Hawaii Island's slumping economy is bad for most everyone, it's a boon for Hawaii Community College, where administrators are bracing for record enrollment. Tribune-Herald.

When students head back to school today, their teachers and principals will have a new tool to help them succeed. Civil Beat.

Furlough Fridays behind them, more than 171,000 public school students head back to school this week to face new challenges as No Child Left Behind proficiency goals rise, the race kicks off to keep more schools from facing federal sanctions and teachers begin major curriculum shifts to follow national standards. Star-Advertiser.

With nearly 1,000 students due on campus Monday, Kahului Elementary teachers and staff were scrambling into makeshift classrooms last week to open the 2010-11 school year. Maui News.

There were traffic jams at the Salt Lake Target today because of many families were doing last minute school supply shopping. KHON2.

The state Board of Education has extended the deadline for the completion of a survey that is part of the panel's search for a new state schools superintendent. KITV.

When school starts next week, Kaunakakai Elementary teacher David Gonzales will have a What I Did on My Summer Vacation story to rival that of any of his fifth grade students. Molokai Dispatch.

Gov. Linda Lingle made a special trip to Maui on Saturday to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Maui Family YMCA and give a push to the organization's efforts to raise funds for a new gym. Maui News.

Plans to dispose of properties the U.S. Navy doesn't need and development projects are putting the future of the Barbers Point Riding Club in doubt. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved a interim rate increase for Maui Electric Company (MECO) last week that went into effect Sunday. Molokai Dispatch.

Renewing your motor vehicle registration just got easier. The County of Hawai'i is now offering an online motor vehicle registration renewal service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. KHON2.

Donald Trump's sons are vacationing in Hawaii, to experience their own Waikiki investment, the Trump International Hotel. Hawaii News Now.

The "Mufi express" rolled into Hilo on Saturday night in a rocking event that was part concert, part political rally and part steak fry dinner fundraiser. Tribune-Herald.

The goals at Cellana, an algae-to-oil plant in the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, are long-term. West Hawaii Today.

A county-commissioned study of the downhill bicycle industry will be reviewed Monday by the Maui County Council's Infrastructure Management Committee. Maui News.

Honolulu has received $55 million in federal funds for preliminary engineering and final design of the rail transit project. Filipino Chronicle.

Internet outage brings state to a halt, Hawaii schools racing to the top, Hannemann wants Superferry back, more news from around the state

About 400,000 Oceanic Time Warner Cable customers were without Internet, phone and television service after a break in an undersea fiber-optic cable early this morning. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii is one of 18 states and the District of Columbia named finalists Tuesday in the second round of the federal "Race to the Top" school reform grant competition, giving them a chance to receive a share of $3 billion. Star-Advertiser.

As they prepared to head back to work Tuesday, public school teachers said they were excited about the new school year, especially since furlough days have been eliminated. Maui News.

Hawaii's Democratic candidates for governor proposed competing economic plans Monday, with Mufi Hannemann's ideas focused on construction and Neil Abercrombie's pitch centered on energy and agricultural sustainability. Associated Press.

Mufi Hannemann said Monday if he is elected governor, he will push to get the Hawaii Superferry back in island waters. KITV.


What do the websites of the three leading Hawaii governor candidates tell us? Civil Beat.

Honolulu lawyer Eric Seitz wrote to the Hawaii State Bar Association yesterday "strongly" opposing Gov. Linda Lingle's appointment of appeals Judge Katherine Leonard as the next chief justice. Star-Advertiser.

A consortium of in-state investors has purchased Hilo Hawaiian Hotel for $17.3 million. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County property taxes are leaving the state this year. But don't worry, say county administrators, the money will come back. West Hawaii Today.

A West Hawaii ranch owner says a local business owner who bought part of Hokukano Ranch is cutting down old-growth sandalwood in the upper reaches of the property. West Hawaii Today.

Kaua‘i cannot continue on its current path of unsustainability, Ken Stokes said Saturday at the Wailua-Kapa‘a Neighborhood Association meeting. Garden Island.

Military might gathering off Hawaii for war games, $1B taxes lost in cash economy, telescope moves forward, Honolulu sewer settlement reached, more

Fourteen countries have converged in Hawaiian waters. KHON2.

Dozens of ships from 14 nations were parked two deep yesterday in Southeast Loch as the U.S. prepares for the start of Rim of the Pacific war games next week in and around Hawaii's waters. Star-Advertiser.

Another successful test for the Missile Defense Agency off Kauai. Around 9:30 Monday night, a target missile was launched from a platform in the Pacific Ocean, and then it was shot down by an interceptor missile. Hawaii News Now.

One billion dollars a year. That’s the estimated taxes in Hawaii that don’t get paid by contractors and waiters, accountants and attorneys, hairdressers and everyone else who hides all or part of their cash income. Hawaii Business.

A landmark settlement regarding Honolulu's sewers means big improvements are coming down the pipe, but it will also mean rate increases to pay for what's estimated to be more than a billion dollars of work. Hawaii News Now.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents unanimously approved yesterday a plan to build the world's largest telescope at Mauna Kea's summit. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would explicitly legalize hundreds of existing transient vacation rentals on agricultural lands is gaining ground. Garden Island.

Law- makers Want State Money To Ship Out Homeless. KITV.

Depriving taxpayers of lower burden. West Hawaii Today.

Public school students will not see teacher furlough days in the coming school year, but they will feel the pinch of budget cuts in other ways, Board of Education members warned. Star-Advertiser.

How would you like to be the boss and not have control over who's on your team? That's the situation Hawaii school principals say they find themselves in — and they're not happy about it.Civil Beat.

The state judiciary said it upgraded its online services to include a license-plate match in order to help people see records of their own parking tickets. KITV.


Like a tomato left too long on the vine, the Saturday farmers market at Eddie Tam has burst its skin and will have to be picked. Maui News.

A dentistry residency program is making pediatric oral surgery more accessible for Big Island keiki. Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

A civil defense siren that went off around 11:45 a.m. Monday was malfunctioning, said Mahina Martin, Maui County spokeswoman. Maui News.

Homeless shuffle continues, Big Island land fund limited on ballot, Hawaii Five-O coming to former 'Tiser building, no solar panels for Kaunakakai, Lingle may veto big education pay raise, more state news

Since the city's homeless bans went into effect in April homeless people have been chased from parks and are now popping up in new spots, creating new tension. Hawaii News Now.

By now, Hawaii residents and visitors have become accustomed to seeing homeless people in parks and on streets, pushing their carts and carrying their belongings. Civil Beat.

Rim of the Pacific 2010 is underway, with navy personnel from more than a dozen countries in Hawaii. KHON2.

The Thirty Meter Telescope project faces a major test next Monday in Honolulu. Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

The defeat of a an unemployment and jobs benefits bill in the U.S. Senate Thursday will have financial consequences in Hawaii, especially for those who’ve been out of work for a while. KITV.


As the state's happiest group of newly unemployed celebrate the completion of 2010 census work in Hawaii, statisticians, policymakers and others are hoping that an improved participation rate will pay off in a better accounting of Hawaii's population and the economic benefits that go with it. Star-Advertiser.


The Hawaii school board is concerned that Gov. Linda Lingle (R) might veto a bill to increase the schools superintendents salary to up to $250,000. KITV.

Voters in November will have the choice of putting a minimum 1 percent land fund or no land fund at all in the county charter, after the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday fell one vote short of putting a 2 percent option on the ballot. West Hawaii Today.

The question of whether Hawaii County should earmark at least 2 percent of yearly property tax collections for land purchases won't be appearing on Big Island ballots this November. Hawaii Tribune-Herald.


Businesses and residents who want to install solar panels in the Kaunakakai area are out of luck. Molokai Dispatch.

From historic newspaper building to a classic TV remake CBS will transform the Advertisers building into a television set. Hawaii News Now.


The rapid decline of British Petroleum stock is being watched carefully by money managers in charge of Hawaii’s Employees’ Retirement System, the fund which pays pension benefits to state and county workers. KHON2.


Mayor Mufi Hannemann gave final approval to the city's $1.8 billion operating budget that is balanced in part on a property tax rate increase for landlords and others who own homes they do not live in. Star-Advertiser.


The Hawaii County Council and legislative staff have joined the county administration in adopting twice-monthly unpaid furloughs.West Hawaii Today.

Ninety-five percent of endangered hawksbill sea turtles nesting on the Big Island during the summer months prefer the island's southern black sand beaches and rocky coves, said Marine Turtle Research Program leader George Balazs.West Hawaii Today.


Operating Honolulu's fleet of more than 500 buses has gotten more expensive, and beginning Thursday, riders will be paying more to help offset fuel and maintenance costs. Star-Advertiser.

The Kaua‘i County Council passed Wednesday a resolution requesting Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. to consider including the council members in the implementation of the Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan. Garden Island.

Maui United Way raised more than $1.1 million in its 2009-10 fundraising campaign, the nonprofit agency has reported. Maui News.

Well, the political season is in full swing with every square inch of billboard space taken up with signs — many of them there without permission of the property owners. Lahaina News.

HIV increasing in state, Lingle paves way for fireworks bans, Abercrombie fined for late campaign spending report, EIS opens door to scale insect release, more state news

More and more young people in Hawaii are testing positive for the HIV virus, according to the Life Foundation, the state’s largest anti-AIDS organization. KITV

Governor Lingle has signed a bill into law that allows the counties to enact their own laws regarding fireworks, as long as they're tougher than the state law. KHON2.

You'll have less time this year to get a fireworks permit before July Fourth. Not only does the holiday fall on a Sunday, but City and County offices will be closed on July 2 for furlough Friday. so the deadline is Thursday, July 1.. Hawaii News Now.

State lawmakers said Tuesday they are seriously considering a veto override if Gov. Linda Lingle (R) vetoes a bill calling for a cost-benefit audit of a privately run Arizona prison. KITV

The state is once again seeking approval to release a Brazilian scale insect into Hawaii forests to control the spread of the popular but environmentally needy strawberry guava tree. Star-Advertiser.

High salt levels in a South Kona well system have prompted health advisories from the county Department of Water Supply. West Hawaii Today.

 Neil Aber- crombie's gub- ernatorial campaign was recently fined by the Hawaii Campaign Spending Com- mission over late notice about a mainland fundraiser. KHON2

The June 14 release of the project's Final  Environmental Impact Statement  offers the most up-to-date list of homes and businesses that will have to move to make way for the train. Civil Beat.

The city is spending $400,000 in federal stimulus money on a mural and flowering trellises at two new transit centers. Star-Advertiser.

A Hawaii County Public Works employee is under investigation for allegedly hitting a Kona bicyclist Thursday morning while driving a county vehicle with a suspended license. West Hawaii Today.

New refuse carts are in preparation for Kauai County’s move toward automated refuse collection which is scheduled to start July 1. Garden Island.

University of Hawaii Maui College officials dedicated an array of photovoltaic panels Monday, saying the school is expanding its educational curriculum while installing renewable energy systems to reduce the college's energy costs. Maui News.


Geologists with the Hawaii Volcano Observatory flew over the Big Island's Pu'u O'o Crater Monday, getting good views of a new gas vent on the crater's east wall. KHON2.

A deal between the Kaua‘i County Council and developers of a South Shore project was supposed to offer its workers and the community 75 affordable houses in exchange for an approval to build 1,500 high-end units in Kukui‘ula, plus a golf course and shopping center. Garden Island.

Islanders going to bed late Friday or rising before dawn Saturday might see a partial eclipse of the moon if clouds don't obscure it. Star-Advertiser.

With less than a month left until the election filing deadline, 21 Big Island residents have entered County Council and state Legislature races, while 28 others have shown interest in joining them. Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

Citing “a desperate need to reduce county regulation that is currently strangling small businesses and holding back literally thousands of jobs,” Paul Laub is running for the West Maui seat on the County Council. Lahaina News.


Although poor first semester grades in Molokai High School’s (MHS) online courses prompted school officials to further examine the e-school program, second semester grades revealed significant improvement among students. Molokai Dispatch.

Maui to regulate aquarium trade, Mauna Kea telescope participates in major find, Djou reaching out on taxpayer dime, school calendar set, more communication coming to Molokai, more news

Maui County is on its way to becoming the first county in the state to regulate the collection of reef aquatic life and demand the humane treatment of the animals for both industry professionals and private aquarium owners.

A Maui County Council committee has approved a bill by Councilman Wayne Nishiki to set up an application and permit system to regulate the aquarium fish trade.

A small capsule that landed in South Australia early this week may contain a key to understanding pieces of Earth's early composition. And Mauna Kea's Subaru Telescope played a small part in getting the capsule home

A new 1.8-meter telescope has begun surveying the skies, looking for killer asteroids, the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy announced Wednesday.

Lihu‘e Airport first in state with all-body security scanner

First came the sparks, citizens outraged about plans to develop on the Kakaako shoreline area. They were blasting the consultants as they unveiled possible blueprints, some citizens are upset that some of the consultants the state hired are from the mainland.

Safeway Inc. intends to build eight stores in Hawaii within the next three years, while Walgreens Inc. has as many as nine island projects in the works.

The Department of Education posted its calendar for the 2010-2011 school year Thursday. There are no furloughs and all DOE employees will return August 2.

With little hesitation the Board of Education became one of ten states to support a nationwide effort to use Common Core State Standards in schools.

A $23 billion proposal to help states pay teachers and avoid layoffs faltered last month in Congress. And Democrats have since then been scrambling to find a backup plan.

Rep. Charles Djou said Thursday that videotape paid for by taxpayers dollars was taken off his campaign website as soon as his campaign office was made aware it violated U.S. House rules.

U.S. Rep. Charles Djou is taking advantage of one of the privileges of being in Congress: taxpayer-financed messages back home.

Deja vu. Deja Djou.

Hawaii Reps. Mazie Hirono and Charles Djou did not take part in the grilling of BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward, but they did express their views about the oil spill.

Having just solved a $1.2 billion budget shortfall, state leaders are expecting expenditures to exceed revenues for three more years, the House Finance Committee chairman told a Hilo audience Wednesday.

The state Legislature relied primarily on spending cuts to balance its budget this year, rather than raise taxes or fees.

Following a year of state furloughs, the Kaua‘i County Council approved, with a few exceptions, two-day-per-month furloughs of county employees during the fiscal year beginning July 1

Mobi PCS plans to construct six new cell phone antennas on the roof of Paddlers Inn that will improve service for Molokai customers.

Dennis Moresco doesn't get the opposition to the proposed Ooma development.

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture's Plant Pest Control Branch on Wednesday released tiny parasitic wasps in an effort to control the stinging nettle caterpillar

Citing “a desperate need to reduce county regulation that is currently strangling small businesses and holding back literally thousands of jobs,” Paul Laub is running for the West Maui seat on the County Council.

Shortly after arriving on Maui earlier this week, young movie star Zac Efron went for a swim in front of his resort.

Wind energy plans progressing, school year extended, Hawaii teachers well-paid, Big Island looks to expand landfill, Inouye honored, dolphins born, die, more

A new emergency room for dolphins at the University of Hawaii at Hilo lost its first patient yesterday afternoon with the death of a critically injured striped dolphin found floundering on the rocks near the fishing village of Milolii.

A new Hawaii law requires at least 180 school days a year as the state tries to shed its reputation for having the least amount of instructional time in the nation

The AFT survey calculated Hawaii's average teacher salary was $51,916 in the 2006 school year; the national average was $51,009.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann's chief opponents in the governor's race say he should answer questions and explain his recent trip to Pittsburgh to raise campaign funds.

Same-sex couples who are allowed to enter into civil unions would spend as much as $9.5 million on celebrations over the first four years of the new law, according to a new study.

Honolulu's mass transit project must overcome serious obstacles before groundbreaking.

A consultant is expected to be selected by the end of the month to compare the feasibility of expanding the Hilo landfill to trucking East Hawaii's garbage to West Hawaii.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann explained the city's furlough plan yesterday, noting that public safety and core city services such as TheBus and refuse pickup would be unaffected.

New 3-D movie technology coming to Oahu theatre

Hawaii's Sen. Daniel Inouye became the nation's second-longest serving U.S. senator last week.

On Thursday, the public will have another chance to decide on future development for the Kakaako waterfront.

Despite the combined efforts of three Neighbor Island leagues, the powers-that-be remain on Oahu, and it appears so will the marquee high school state tournaments. The Hawaii High School Athletic Association's Executive Council voted Monday to reverse a recommendation to include Maui and the Big Island in a rotation to host the Division I and II soccer championships.

The Department of Water Supply reduced production at the Olinda Water Treatment Facility on Monday because the reservoirs that feed the plant were nearly empty.


Sea Life Park Hawaii, one of Oahu’s favorite family attractions, has had a delivery from the stork in the shape of a baby dolphin and wants to get you to join the celebration!

NexGen Energy Partners LLC is seeking the Leeward Planning Commission's approval on a request to install a windmill at the Waikoloa sewage treatment plant.

Wind energy company First Wind has announced it will not pursue a proposed wind project on Molokai’s Hawaiian homestead land. The company is now negotiating with Molokai Properties Ltd., also known as Molokai Ranch, to build a similar wind farm on Ranch land.

About an acre of former sugar cane land near Palani Place in Hanama‘ulu was scorched during a brush fire Tuesday afternoon, a county news release states.

DOE administrators seek big pay hikes as Furlough Fridays end, Honolulu crime up, Maui water deal struck, Big Island land sale pau, more top state news

Starting in July, the salaries of Hawaii's top secondary public school administrators could go up, including the state superintendent's — to as high as $240,000 from $150,000.

With only one more day of class left in the school year, Governor Lingle announced today that school furloughs are over.

Furlough Fridays at Hawai'i public schools are a thing of the past

After enduring a school year cut short by 17 Furlough Fridays, public school students and their parents, along with principals, teachers and other education officials, head into next year with a complete academic calendar once again.

What started last September as a breakthrough by Gov. Linda Lingle and educators to reduce labor costs and help with the state's budget deficit ended yesterday with a face-saving compromise to cancel teacher furloughs and return students to the classroom for a full calendar next school year.

Furlough Fridays are over. Governor Linda Lingle made the announcement around 4:15 in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the State Capitol.

As you might expect, most parents are thrilled to see the school furlough saga come to an end, although many are wondering why Hawaii's leaders couldn't figure it out months ago.

Frozen Investments Could Have Helped Solve State Budget Crisis

Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday afternoon announced the state has reached an agreement to end school closures on furlough days next year.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday spent a little more than an hour with supporters of civil unions in a private meeting in her office. The legislation would provide rights similar to marriage to unmarried couples.

Property crime in Honolulu increased 5 percent in 2009, ending a six-year streak of declining offenses in the category. Authorities said the increase is disappointing, but probably won't jeopardize Honolulu's standing as the nation's safest large city.

Once it was Cash for Clunkers. Now it's rebates for refrigerators, and the chance to save $250 while going green is proving just as irresistible to Hawaii consumers.

On the day new U.S. Rep. Charles Djou was formally sworn into office in Washington, D.C., a handful of candidates offered their services as potential candidates to fill out the remainder of his term on the City Council.

State Commission on Water Resource Management members reached a historic compromise late Tuesday night, returning some water to six East Maui streams, but leaving both sides in the water dispute dissatisfied.

Mayor Billy Kenoi took the offensive Monday, calling a news conference urging the Hawaii County Council to make public its budget-cutting plans.

With the administration giving up for now on selling Hamakua lands, one councilman wants to revoke the county's authority to do so without future council approval.

A hearing on the voter registration of Maui Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala will be held in Lanai City today

Koloa and Po‘ipu house some of the richest archaeological sites in the entire state. Despite widespread development, new sites are still being discovered there.

State tax checks in the mail, the taxman leaveth, Big Island still loves its pickup trucks, water the issue on Maui, UH may hike tuition, Kileauea wows the media, more top Hawaii news

Saying pickup trucks are some families' only mode of transportation, the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday rejected a resolution aimed at keeping passengers from riding in open truck beds.

In this day and age of volatile gas prices and a downward-spiraling economy, drivers may be increasingly more inclined to accept that driving is a privilege rather than a right.

It's not a lot of money in the scheme of Hawai'i's $50 billion-plus economy. But the nearly $125 million in state tax refunds that start going out today will provide a welcome psychological lift as businesses try to come back from an exhausting economic downturn.

State Tax Director Kurt Kawafuchi will be leaving his job June 15, Gov. Linda Lingle's office said yesterday.

Gov. Linda Lingle invited about two dozen public school principals, teachers and parents to her office Thursday, to discuss three education bills awaiting her signature.


A bill making its way through Congress could provide Hawai'i with an estimated $91 million to save education jobs and potentially help eliminate furlough Fridays next school year, according to U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's office.

Hawaii will move its primary from late September to the second Saturday in August starting in 2012 to comply with a federal law intended to ensure that military and overseas voters get ballots within 45 days before elections.

Mail-In Voting The Winner In Special Election

A fundraising letter from the Republican National Committee that rankled Congress into passing a law banning deceptive mailings because they could be mistaken for an official U.S. Census document appears to be making the rounds in Hawaii.

University of Hawaii administrators are weighing whether to propose a tuition increase beginning in the fall of 2012.

Media Council of Hawaii is filing another complaint to the Federal Communications Commission about the merger between KGMB, KHNL and KFVE.

Every year thousands of visitors travel to Kilauea on the Big Island for a chance to see one of the most active volcanoes in the world. A massive plume still billows from the active lava filled vents.

Halemaumau Crater has been putting on a show like this since March 2008.

The public is being asked to comment on major improvements for Highway 130 -- the Keaau-Pahoa Road -- that may cost in excess of $100 million.

With the relaxing of water limits and removal of the penalty of jail time, the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday found a water spigot bill it could agree upon.

The proposed Villages of Aina Lea South Kohala development would offer some new regional road connectivity, with a mauka-makai road between the development, which is mauka of the Mauna Lani Resort, and nearby Waikoloa.

A U.S. Geological Survey study 4 years in the making and released this week describes the effects of taking millions of gallons of water daily from "the Four Streams" of Na Wai Eha that originate in the West Maui Mountains.

The state Commission on Water Resource Management will take up a petition next week to set new instream-flow standards for 16 East Maui streams.

The Pioneer Mill abandoned the sugarcane fields of Lahaina in 1999, and the browning of the once verdant slopes of the West Maui Mountains began.

A car running on java plum wood chips was the star of the 14th Annual Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day, Thursday.

Cockfight bust scatters 500, former governors band against Djou, televised Honolulu City Council meetings could fall to budget ax, UH studies deep-sea vents, Hilo branch to get new chancellor, more Hawaii news

A deep-sea expedition headed by a University of Hawaii geologist has yielded insights into one of Earth's most active volcanic areas, in the Galapagos Islands.

Showing a united front in a party that has been described as divided, Hawaii's last three governors, all Democrats, warned yesterday that the election of Republican Charles Djou to the U.S. House would be a setback for Hawaii.

Three former Democratic governors asked voters yesterday to choose a Democrat in the special election for Congress and prevent Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, a Republican, from taking advantage of a divided electorate.

Less than a week left in the special election and democrats are worried a republican could win the race for congress.

The latest ad campaign from Republican Charles Djou blasts Democratic opponent Ed Case.

Three of Hawaii's past governors are calling on voters to keep the 1st Congressional District seat Democratic

Here are some of the questions and answers that didn't make it into our one hour long debate-- like what the candidates have done and will do to help small businesses.

When construction begins on Honolulu's rail line is now up to the governor and federal government. But it's unlikely that the mayor who's been the force behind the project will be in his office for the groundbreaking.

Four O'ahu men have been charged with animal cruelty after Honolulu police raided a Nānākuli cockfight attended by an estimated 500 people Saturday afternoon.

Residents of Hakimo Road in Nanakuli have split opinions regarding a massive police raid in their neighborhood Saturday. Officers armed with a search warrant broke up a cockfighting event that was attended by an estimated 500 people.

Fifty-one of the most beautiful women took the stage for the 2010 Miss USA Pageant.

A plan by some City Council members to chop funding for the televised broadcasts of its committee meetings is starting to draw protests from their colleagues and others.

New legislation would place limits on the use of leaf blowers, offering some relief to residents from the noisy machine — but not as much as some had hoped for.

Mayor Billy Kenoi's administration appears to be moving quickly to convert the Hawaii County Band into a private nonprofit corporation.

The dean of science at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona has been tabbed to succeed Rose Tseng as University of Hawaii at Hilo chancellor.

West Hawaii, which accounts for 76.2 percent of all property value in the county, is set to be hit the hardest by property tax hikes proposed by Mayor Billy Kenoi.

The 10th Maui Matsuri was held on Saturday at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

Biotechnology is a viable industry, said agricultural expert Douglas Jones during a luncheon hosted by the Hawai‘i Crop Improvement Association and the Chamber of Commerce last week at JJ’s Broiler.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Engineering Division will hold a public information meeting on Wednesday, May 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss a planned improvement project at Maalaea Small Boat Harbor.

Poll shows Djou-Case tie in congressional race, citations continue in Furlough Friday sit-in, budget ax hovers over state, counties, more top Hawaii news

 Deputy sheriffs cited nine people with trespassing—including two for the second time—as the sit-in against Furlough Fridays continued yesterday in Gov. Linda Lingle's office.

Expecting vetoes by Gov. Linda Lingle, state House and Senate leaders yesterday placed several potentially contentious bills in position for final votes this week, including an increase in the barrel tax and an attempt to block the state from closing eligibility offices on the Neighbor Islands that help the poor.

As the state Legislature moves into its last three weeks, Democrats are positioning a series of tax law changes and tax increases that they hope will balance the budget without raising the general excise tax.

Honolulu City Council members yesterday said they were using a "paring knife," not an axe, to carve about $9.5 million from the city's $1.82 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year, but warned more drastic cuts would likely be needed.

A recent poll shows Republican Charles Djou is tied with Democrat Ed Case for the lead in Oahu’s special congressional election, according to The Atlantic magazine.

State sheriff's deputies tonight issued citations to nine adults who were occupying the governor's office on day 6 of a sit-in to pressure officials to end public school furloughs.

A group that has been calling on Governor Linda Lingle to settle the furlough situation received citations for a second straight weekday.

The state Department of Public Safety is looking into an incident on Friday in which a female correctional officer allegedly made a threat against state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, D-14th (Halawa, Moanalua, Kamehameha Heights).

State tax collections were down 1.6 percent through the first nine months of the fiscal year, the state Department of Taxation reported Monday.

Hawaii lawmakers and their staff gathered at the Capitol rotunda to participate in the Habitat For Humanity's nail-driving contest.

The furlough proposed by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. may not affect firefighters, but proposed budget cuts may impact the Kaua‘i Fire Department.

Despite the talk of change during the 47th annual Merrie Monarch Festival, some things stayed the same.

A Big Island assisted facility developer is looking to build a complex in West Hawaii.

Walgreens opened its second full-service store on Maui on Sunday, but it came with a demonstration against the store by members of the Hawaii Carpenters Union.

Three bids for Star-Bulletin, furlough opponents defeated, Merrie Monarch kicks off , woman sues judicial assistant, tsunami zones studied, more

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed a ruling that shields Hawai'i's teacher furlough program from a federal legal challenge by a group of special-education students and their parents.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals Monday upheld Hawaii's public school furlough program against a legal challenge from eight special education students and their parents.

Three bids to buy the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, including one that does not include assets listed in the sales offering, are being reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department and the state attorney general's office.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and her top supporter, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, are rejecting Washington rumors that Democrats are trying to get Hanabusa out of the special congressional election.

Inouye told KITV4 he is not concerned about a congressional newspaper report that U.S. House Democrats are considering throwing their support behind democrat Ed Case.

Child welfare advocates are rallying to save the remnants of Healthy Start, a nationally recognized child-abuse prevention program whose state funding shrank from $15 million two years ago to $1.3 million this fiscal year and which is now in danger of being eliminated altogether.

While the Lingle administration continues to study the impact of the new federal health care reform law on Hawaii's landmark Prepaid Health Care Act, key state lawmakers say they do not believe it will negatively affect island residents.

A current state court judge’s assistant at the Lihu‘e courthouse has in a lawsuit accused a former supervisor of sexual harassment, retaliation, defamation, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and damage to her marriage.

George Na'ope was a hula master like no other and a colorful figure whose small shadow looms large this week over the Merrie Monarch Festival he co-founded.

Hundreds of homes and businesses in areas long believed to be safe from a tsunami could be added to O'ahu's evacuation map in light of new research.

The committee drafting a new platform for the state Republican Party has dropped language that some interpreted as support for federal legislation to establish a governing entity for native Hawaiians.

Japan resident Kanayo Miyagawa pulled out her camera and asked friend, Taeko, to pose in front of Scandinavian Shave Ice in Kailua-Kona.

A local doctor and his mentor are at the heart of a Maui Memorial Medical Center pilot project that treats irregular heartbeats and reduces the risk of stroke.

Wiliwili trees making a comeback, Hawaii 4th-graders can't read as state continues furlough fight, Army says no duty to report child abuse, more Hawaii news

The state is declaring victory in the fight against an invasive species that killed thousands of Hawai'i's trees — thanks to some scientific detective work that took one entomologist all the way to Tanzania to enlist a natural enemy of the gall wasp.

Nearly half of a randomly selected group of Hawaii public school fourth-graders tested below basic reading levels, according to a nationwide assessment.

A parents group, the teachers union and the state Board of Education want legislators to support restoring cuts in public school days, despite a warning by Republican Gov. Linda Lingle that she would restrict the funds to pay for it.

A preliminary report released by two federal agencies confirmed that when the state accidentally dropped 125, 1.3-ton concrete slabs onto a swath of coral reef last year, it damaged a living habitat for myriad fish and other aquatic life-forms.

A public informational meeting will be held Tuesday to discuss the investigation of coral damage at Keawakapu reef during a state reef-enhancement project in December.

Honolulu's proposed rail-transit project needs to be conducted with "a higher level of transparency," the state Department of Transportation said yesterday as it made public all its correspondence on the issue.

The top uniformed officer in the U.S. military yesterday sharply criticized Fort Shafter's Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. "Randy" Mixon after Mixon said he is against repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays in the military.

After a top-level public scolding over his remarks on the military's policy regarding gays, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific issued a terse "no comment" yesterday from his headquarters at Fort Shafter.

An attorney for the U.S. Army argued in court on Thursday that Army officials have no legal duty to report child abuse to civilian authorities.

A lawyer for two boys filed suit against the state Thursday, saying the state could have prevented years of abuse they suffered from their legal guardians. It's a case prosecutors referred to as a "house of torture."

The video playing on YouTube shows 95-year-old Beatrice Muranaka talking to her pet bird, walking with her walker, and trying to call Charles Schwab.

According to Deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville, people are still being caught and prosecuted for welfare fraud despite state budget cuts that have left the Big Island with one welfare fraud investigator instead of the three it once had.

A well project in North Kona got the environmental green light from a state economic development agency.

Roy Yasay got more than appreciation premiums from the Hawai‘i Counts 2010 Census Van which was parked at the Salt Pond Beach Park Sunday.

Senate reconsiders GET tax hike, candy to be banned from schools, Royal Hawaiian Band dodges budget bullet, state seeks Obama presidential library, NELHA opens fish market, Hilo Hospital thriving, more

State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim says her financial plans call for balancing the state budget without raising the general excise tax.

Candy and ice cream sales would be banned at Hawaii public schools under a measure that's close to passing the state Legislature.

President Barack Obama should put his future presidential library in Hawaii, where he was born and raised, according to state lawmakers.

The 174-year-old Royal Hawaiian Band is safe for now.

Barring an agreement between the state and the teachers union and funding from the state Legislature, next year's school calendar will include 17 furlough Fridays — leaving a total of 163 instructional days — under a recently approved public school calendar.

In a bid to crack down on longtime problem areas for prostitution, the Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would target johns by impounding their cars.

Chinese and Korean visitors, two key targets for growth in the state's recovering tourism industry, find plenty to like about Waikiki but say the night life is lacking.

Honolulu police on Monday evening, caught a Hawaii State Hospital escapee with a violent record.

The federal health reform plan preserves Hawaii's pre-paid health care act of 1974 which has insured 92 percent of the state's population.

Family and friends of Nicole Scherzinger gathered in Makaha Valley to watch the premiere of season ten of "Dancing With The Stars."

Administrators are working to continue Hilo Medical Center's transformation from its humble beginnings as a small-town hospital to a major regional health care provider.

A new farmers market will open in less than two weeks, bringing aquaculture products grown at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in North Kona to the public one Friday over the next four months.

Admittedly, the traffic mitigation plan to extend Waiale Road to Honoapiilani Highway will take a little imagination on the part of some people to envision, Maui County officials said this week.

The body of 58-year-old Kaua‘i resident Rodney Ahn found in Kalalau Valley last month prompted a state Department of Land and Natural Resources employee to raise questions about funding cutbacks, which he said are hurting the agency’s ability to perform its job.

State wants to ignore birthers, Maui Pineapple selling equipment, UH student in trouble for posting nude photos in classrooms, more top Hawaii news

Birthers beware: Hawaii may start ignoring your repeated requests for proof that President Barack Obama was born here.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority projects 200,000 more visitors this year, and has not wasted any time making sure it happens.

If you've ever had a hankering to wheel one of those big yellow pine trucks down the highway, Tuesday is your chance. Maui Pineapple Co. is auctioning off about 16 of the behemoths, along with a practically unused, state-of-the-art cannery and lots of other stuff that was left over when Maui's last pineapple plantation closed at the end of 2009.

The head of the state Department of Human Services yesterday said the proposed budget for her agency would result in cuts that are "draconian" and would cause "significant harm" to the people who need services the most.

People attending Hawai'i's biggest new-car show will be greeted by a Hawaiian Electric Co. display in what may mark the dawn of the era of the electric car

John Johnson was playing cards at a picnic table in Kapiolani Park when he learned that the Honolulu City Council had passed a ban on tents in parks unless the user has a permit.

You may have seen it, a black flag with the silhouette of a soldier. It's called the "prisoner of war, missing in action" flag. And if a bill clears the Legislature, that flag will fly at the State Capitol, six days a year.

A University of Hawaii student could face disciplinary action for taking nude and semi-nude photos and videos of himself in U.H. Manoa classrooms and posting them on the Internet.

A bill that would outlaw smoking in any motorized vehicle occupied by a child or young adult was advanced Tuesday by a 6-3 vote of a County Council committee.

Outgoing Environmental Management Director Lono Tyson contradicted two of his employees Tuesday, claiming that the department had no intention to close the Kealakehe green waste site and move green waste collections to Puuanahulu.

A 2nd Circuit Court judge has dismissed all remaining claims in a lawsuit filed against the county by three county employees.

Manu Kai, the primary support contractor for the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility, will be notifying 14 full-time employees this week of impending lay-offs, the company’s program manager said Wednesday.

Officials defend tsunami evacuation, lawmakers still looking for money, more top Hawaii news

Scientists acknowledged they overstated the threat but defended their actions, saying they took the proper steps and learned the lessons of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed thousands of people who didn’t get enough warning.

Businesses lost thousands of dollars when the tsunami warning forced them to shut down Saturday.

This was not a drill. As a very real tsunami threat loomed off the coast, Hawaii County Civil Defense proved its ability to smoothly evacuate sleepy residents early Saturday morning.

The county's Emergency Operations Center resembled a well-oiled war room Saturday.

County officials responded to some reports of overflowing sewers, but no other damage was reported following the small tsunami that struck Maui and the rest of the state Saturday.

No money would be allocated for smoking prevention activities from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund under a bill moving in the state House to deal with the state budget crisis.

Kauai County officials announced that the Anti-Drug Office was awarded a $1.2 million grant for underage drinking prevention programs.

Most of Hawai'i's more than $1 billion in federal stimulus money is going toward projects that many would agree help the economy, or to people who have recently lost their jobs.

Lawmakers are considering a measure that would eliminate junior kindergarten in Hawai'i public schools and move up the date children are eligible to enter kindergarten, changes that would require thousands of late-born 5-year-olds to wait an additional year before they can start school.

The first public school built like a shopping mall is taking shape on the Leeward Coast and is slated for a grand opening in January.