Federal money for homeless, Takai campaign spending money long after his death, Honolulu license backlog, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Homeless man in Honolulu ©2018 All Hawaii News

Hawaii’s legislative leaders said Thursday that $11.7 million in federal grants to support 35 homeless assistance programs in the state will help meet a critical need. Garden Island.

The congressional campaign for the late U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has paid out nearly $90,000 for consulting services to a Honolulu firm run by the committee’s treasurer in the 18 months since Takai’s death, with a payment issued as recently as four months ago, federal campaign records show. Star-Advertiser.

Will The HPD Scandal Jump-Start Police Reform In The Legislature? So far, lawmakers have failed to establish a standards and training board and lift the secrecy in police misconduct cases. Civil Beat.

Report Skims Surface on Hawaii Cesspool Mess. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hurricane damage thousands of miles away triggers shortage of key medical treatment in Hawaii. Saline solution in an IV bag is one of the more common sights in hospital rooms. KHON2.

A Department of Health survey released in 2016 confirmed Hawaii’s children have the highest prevalence of tooth decay in the nation. Garden Island.

Hundreds marched at the State Capitol to end human trafficking in Hawaii.  KITV.

Randy Baldemor, chief operating officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, has notified the state agency that he will be resigning his position on March 2. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

A group of concerned citizens filled the Honolulu Liquor Commission hearing room to capacity Thursday in their quest to stop a liquor application for the Denny’s under construction at 2538 Kuhio Ave. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Army National Guard dedicated a new $38 million aviation support facility hangar at Kalaeloa on Thursday that will help support its more than two dozen Chinook, Black Hawk and Lakota helicopters. Star-Advertiser.

City officials are urging the thousands of Oahu motorists who need to renew their driver’s licenses this year to plan ahead to know what documents they need to bring to the Driver Licensing Office to help speed up the process. Projections show renewals are expected to jump to an estimated 9,000 a month islandwide in 2018, up from what has been an average of 3,000 a month, city officials said. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. military officials posted a warning letter to all Hawaii-based service members last month, alerting them that several areas in Waikiki have been flagged for high levels of "violent crime" and "illegal activity." Hawaii News Now.

Less than two months after the state completed a $500,000 clean-up under the Nimitz viaduct, squatters are moving back in. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Fire Department released two new videos from the Marco Polo Fire. KITV.

Hawaiian to use tax savings for Honolulu airport renovations. Hawaiian Airlines said Thursday that if the new federal corporate tax rate for 2018 were in place in 2016, the airline would have paid $38 million less in taxes. Star-Advertiser.

A California real estate investment firm is making a new case to Hawaii regulators for carving up Oahu’s historic Dillingham Ranch and selling pieces to buyers who could build homes on 70 lots zoned for agriculture. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii appears to be seeing the worst flu season in years with patients inundating medical clinics and emergency rooms across Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Former Jefferson Elementary teacher found guilty of sexually assaulting girl. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Mayor Harry Kim testified at an informational briefing on homeless solutions before the State House of Representatives Health & Human Services Committee on Tuesday. Big Island Video News.

Drafting the future of Pahoa. What’s your idea for Pahoa’s future? That’s a question residents might be asked later this year as Hawaii County begins developing a Pahoa village master plan. Tribune-Herald.

The public comment period for arsenic cleanup plans at a Hilo commercial property has ended. The property, at the intersection of Kekuanaoa and Mililani streets near Waiakea Villas condominiums, is the site of a former building materials production plant. Tribune-Herald.

The Edwin C. Olson Trust No. 2 faces a fine of up to $64,960 from the state land board for unpermitted work that allegedly impacted Amauulu Camp Cemetery. Big Island Video News.

The Graying Of The Big Island. More than one in four Big Islanders – 27.4 percent – is 60 or older, according to the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s higher than Kauai (26.1 percent), Maui County (23.6 percent) and Honolulu (22.4 percent). Civil Beat.

Keauhou restaurant Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai was cited by the state Department of Health for removing a food safety placard, and other major food code violations. West Hawaii Today.

The state health department has fined Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai restaurant in Kailua-Kona for several violations, including the intentional removal of a yellow placard and replacing it with a green one. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

The state Department of Transportation today responded to criticism over proposed adjustments to the Lahaina Bypass Phase 1B2 and work at the Keawe Street interim northern terminus in West Maui. Maui Now.

The state Department of Transportation on Thursday took issue with West Maui Rep. Angus McKelvey’s criticisms of the department’s plans for the newest phase of the Lahaina bypass and the adjustments made at the northern end of the bypass as traffic flows to Honoapiilani Highway at Keawe Street. Maui News.

The Pacific Cancer Institute’s medical director Thursday accused Hawaii Health Systems Corp. of using public “scare” tactics last month to pressure the institute that provides cancer radiation therapy into accepting new and “unfair” lease terms at its Maui Memorial Medical Center facility. Maui News.

Teledentistry Pilot Project Expands to Maui. Maui Now.

Local real estate brokerage and management firm Hawaii Life has acquired Maui property management company Island Oasis Realty. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Church helps feed the community. A couple from Canada dropped off food, intact and packaged items that were remaining following their stay on Kauai Thursday morning at the Kauai Independent Food Bank. Garden Island.

Economy beats expectations, appeals court agrees with Hawaii on Trump travel ban, flu program curtailed, foam food container ban advances, Ige confident against Hanabusa, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki shoppers © 2017 All Hawaii News

Economic experts tasked with forecasting Hawaii’s tax collections say the state’s revenue will grow at a slightly higher rate over the next two years, bringing in roughly $40 million more than previously expected. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s attorney general cheered a federal appeals court decision Thursday rejecting the Trump administration’s limited view of who is allowed into the United States under the president’s travel ban. Star-Advertiser.

A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration's limited view of who is allowed into the United States under the president's travel ban, saying grandparents, cousins and similarly close relations of people in the U.S. should not be prevented from coming to the country. Associated Press.

Governor Ige: I Have More Experience Running the State Than Congresswoman Hanabusa. Hawaii Public Radio.

Multiple federal agencies and state regulators have built cases around investment adviser and former head of the Hawaii Republican Party, David Chang, sources tell Hawaii News Now.

Mazie Hirono is happy, healthy and feeling great, ready to take on the Trump Administration and re-election. KITV.

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A lack of funding is forcing the state to scale back its annual school vaccination program. Hawaii News Now.

Stop Flu at School, the state’s free annual vaccination program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, will be offered at only about 90 public schools on Oahu this year, according to the Department of Health. In addition, the free flu shots will no longer be offered in private schools. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Health will not provide free vaccinations against influenza at private schools this year. Tribune-Herald.

‘Stop Flu at School’ Annual vaccination program limited to selected public schools. Garden Island.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could be short more than 100,000 doctors by 2030. But Hawaii may have a solution. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

A more than $100 million public-private partnership to add new low-income rental homes to the state’s largest public housing project has unraveled, and a state agency and a private developer are blaming each other for it. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Police Commission whittled its list of 34 police chief candidates to nine Wednesday after ranking their scores from a written exam that was administered by an independent contractor helping evaluate the applicants. Civil Beat.

Earlier this month, the Honolulu Police Department told us it was finally ready to begin testing body cameras. Now, we’ve learned that’s no longer the case. KHON2.

A contract dispute between the state and Queen's Medical Center forced some young patients with mental illnesses to scramble for new services last week. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu City Council granted special permits Wednesday for a 400-foot-tall, 444-unit condo-hotel near Ala Moana Center, waiving some zoning restrictions because of its location along the future rail line. Civil Beat.

Family demands answers for child’s second-degree burns from spilled hot school lunch. KHON2.

Three years after the city removed a filthy water fountain from Chinatown’s Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park and promised other improvements, a nearby business owner hopes to call out city officials Saturday by painting a community mural over a massive and useless 11-by-10-foot pump house that remains in the park. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

A polystyrene food container ban took a big leap forward Thursday, when the County Council moved a bill to its final reading. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County Council voted to pass Bill 13, the polystyrene foam reduction bill, on first reading during Thursday’s meeting in Hilo. Big Island Video News.

A Hawaii tour operator has been fined for repeatedly dropping swimmers in front of dolphins and encircling the animals with his tour boat, officials said. Associated Press.

County Finance Director Collins Tomei has turned in his resignation. He’s the second department head to resign since Mayor Harry Kim took office in December. West Hawaii Today.

The final touches are being made to a new Hawaii Fire Department station on Haihai Street in Hilo. Star-Advertiser.

Two Big Island school bus drivers have been placed on leave, after two school buses filled with children crashed into one another on Wednesday. KITV

A federal judge in California ruled at the beginning of this month that a lawsuit alleging violations of consumer protection laws and misrepresentation by the owner of Kona Brewing Co. could move forward. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Knowing that 1 million to 2 million gallons of drinking water every day irrigates Wailea and Makena landscapes, Maui County administrators and County Council members have begun exploring ways to find alternatives. Maui News.

The Department of Land Natural Resources plans to close Iao Valley State Monument again, this time for two months beginning on Monday, Oct. 16. Maui Now.

Anna Foust has resigned as head of the Maui County Emergency Management Agency to move with her family to Dayton, Ohio. Maui News.

Kauai

The Real Property Tax Assessment office announces that property owners who were previously denied the 3 percent Assessment Cap for Home Exemption due to a transfer of title may now retroactively adjust their 2017 assessments pursuant to Kauai County Ordinance 1015. Garden Island.


Molokai

Nearly 10 years after shutting down operations at Hawaii’s Molokai Ranch, the property’s Singapore-based owner has put the 55,575 acres, or 35 percent of the island of Molokai, on the market for sale with an asking price of $260 million. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu Zoo loses another director, panhandler civil rights lawsuit settlement nears, Ige names more top staff, Maui harbor drains $7M from state budget, lava follows new path, state arts foundation audited, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Zoo © 2015 All Hawaii News

Jeffrey Wilkinson, director of the Honolulu Zoo since April, announced his resignation to zoo staff Sunday. Wilkinson is the fourth zoo director to resign in the past five years, and the third since March 2013. Star-Advertiser.

Elizabeth Kim, part of a senior leadership team that advises the U.S. secretary of labor, has been named state labor director, Gov. David Ige's office announced Monday. The governor also announced the hiring of Hono­lulu public relations professional Cindy McMillan as his administration's director of communications. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has chosen Elizabeth Kim to head the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Cindy McMillan to be his communications director. Civil Beat.

The state agency responsible for helping the public access government-controlled information and ensure public meetings remain as open as possible has been mired in a backlog so big its rulings are often irrelevant by the time they’re issued. Yet relief appears nowhere in sight for the Hawaii Office of Information Practices as Gov. David Ige’s term begins and the Legislature gets set to work on his proposed biennium budget, which despite a modest increase only gives the agency half the resources it had 20 years ago. Civil Beat.

The Hawai‘i Health Connector — beset by delays, computer malfunctions and low enrollment since its inception in late 2013 — expects to be self-sufficient by 2022. Star-Advertiser.

On the eve of the 2015 legislative session, Hawaii Public Radio’s Noe Tanigawa takes a look at a recent auditor’s report on the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Oahu

State regulators have approved a wind farm planned for Kahuku despite objections from members of the North Shore community and concerns from Hawaii’s consumer advocate that the developer should have completed its environmental review of the project first. Civil Beat.

A Honolulu city councilman is looking for ways to boost regulation on vacation rentals on Hawaii’s most populous island. Associated Press.

For years, Kapaa Quarry Road has been used as an illegal dump site by people getting rid of trash, equipment, even furniture. Residents and lawmakers say it’s long been a problem with no clear solution and it sits right next to the Kawainui Marsh. KHON2.

The lei sellers at the Honolulu International Airport say their daily struggle to stay in business would be eased if they had 15-year leases like they did in the past, and more respect. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

A settlement is in the works in a civil rights lawsuit filed against the county by a Kailua-Kona man cited for panhandling last year. West Hawaii Today.

The June 27 lava flow could begin following a new path as breakouts upslope of the stalled front advance to the north. Darryl Oliveira, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator, said the most active breakout was located about 1.5 miles from Pahoa Marketplace as of Monday morning. It had advanced about 200 yards to the north in 24 hours. Tribune-Herald.

Daily nonstop flights between Kona and Haneda, Japan, could begin as early as June 1, if Hawaiian Airlines Inc. is successful in its application with the U.S. Department of Transportation. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island health care providers are seeing a recent spike in cases of the flu. Hilo Medical Center reports that in the last month its influenza rate has risen about four times higher than normal, and Kona Community Hospital said Monday it has already confirmed 24 cases of the flu since New Year’s Day. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

It was supposed to be a part of the state's plan to revitalize the Maalaea Harbor on Maui. But for the past 20 years, the 1.1-acre dirt lot has remained undeveloped with Hawaii taxpayers footing the bill. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has paid more than $7 million -- or about $1,000 a day -- to lease the property that's used only to store old boats, buoys and other ocean equipment. Hawaii News Now.

The new year brought entirely new Maui County Council leadership–exactly what was predicted shortly after the November 2014 election. Mike White is the new Council Chairman and Don Guzman is the new Vice Chairman. Maui Time.

Kauai

Ulupono Initiative, the same investment company backing Hawaii Dairy Farms’ proposed dairy in Mahaulepu Valley on Kauai’s south side, has its sights on purchasing the last locally owned and operated large-scale dairy in the state. Garden Island.