Tourism rebounds, HPD seeks cops, Lingle says Abercrombie too old and set in ways, gubernatorial candidates debate health care, more Hawaii news

The Hawaii Tourism Authority reports visitors who came to the islands in August spent $1.1 billion, a 30 percent jump over August of last year. Hawaii News Now.

It's been a superb summer for the visitor industry with total visitor arrivals up in August for the ninth consecutive month. KITV.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle took a shot at Democratic gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie Thursday morning, suggesting to a pro-business group that the former congressman's old age makes him set in his ways. Civil Beat.

Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said yesterday that they would preserve the state's Prepaid Health Care Act, which requires businesses to provide health insurance for employees, but indicated that the state law might have to be changed to remain financially sound. Star-Advertiser.

 The two leading candidates for Hawaii governor explained Thursday what they will do in the face of federal health insurance reform to retain current health insurance benefits for Hawaii residents. KITV.

The debate touched on the future of Hawaii's prepaid health care act -- the one that mandates employer-sponsored benefits -- in the context of the new national health care law. KHON2.

Democrats are denouncing U.S. Rep. Charles Djou's opposition to legislation to provide up to $7.4 billion to workers sickened during cleanup of the World Trade Center site in New York after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Associated Press.

For the first time, NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is actively seeking Lanai and Molokai representatives for its advisory council. Molokai Dispatch.

Three years after a state-backed plan was engineered to prevent a dramatic loss of low-income rental apartments at one of Oahu's largest affordable-housing communities, a big piece of the plan has faltered. Star-Advertiser.

Five Hawaii high schools will share a five-year, $10 million federal grant to bolster their "smaller learning communities" -- programs aimed at decreasing dropout rates, improving achievement and better preparing students for colleges or careers. Star-Advertiser.

The federal government is helping the University of Hawaii at Hilo convert an aging dormitory into a living-learning center and boost Native Hawaiian graduation rates. Tribune-Herald.

The Honolulu Police Department is looking for new recruits. Hawaii News Now.

North Hawaii Community Hospital officials announced Wednesday they've already found a new president and chief executive, less than a month after John White announced his resignation. Ken Wood starts Friday. West Hawaii Today.

Does the Goldilocks planet also have alien bears? Tribune-Herald.

Kahului Airport's main runway needs to be repaved, and state Department of Transportation officials say the work can be done at night so flights and airport operations continue uninterrupted. Maui News.

Groundwork for a scaled-back Laiopua Community Center just south of Kealakehe High School could begin as early as July 2011 if local charity Laiopua 2020 can secure $9.8 million to get work under way. West Hawaii Today.

Inter-Island seeks waterfall landings amid contested ownership. Garden Island.

A network of Hawaiian organizations and businesses have banded together to help small (under $25,000 annually) Native Hawaiian organizations maintain their tax exemption statuses. Maui News.

Waikiki Beach makeover, Big Island doctor shortage, electric vehicles and other Hawaii news of the day

The most popular beach in Hawaii is due for a partial makeover. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Linda Lingle is releasing a $140,000 appropriation for a training program on the Big Island to help relieve a worsening statewide physician shortage, especially in rural areas. Star-Advertiser.

Doctor Raymond Fodor has a problem not found on any X-ray. Hawaii News Now.

The status of Hawaii's physician shortage could reach critical condition in the next 10 years.KHON2.

Hawaii's largest bank is saying it hasn't taken a position on a civil unions measure pending on Gov. Linda Lingle's desk. KITV.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann yesterday brushed aside pointed criticism from the governor's chief of staff on the city's policy on homelessness, saying it's a "laughable joke" to say the city hasn't done enough to address the issue. Star-Advertiser.

The city set a July 19 as an eviction deadline for homeless families camped out near the beach at Maili Point. KITV.

The state is moving ahead with plans to begin charging nonresidents and commercial tour vehicles at least $10 per vehicle to park at Iao Valley State Monument. Maui News.


Hawaii is considered ideal for electric vehicles because the size of the islands limits driving distances and it has some of the highest gas prices in the nation. Civil Beat.

Timed to coincide with the arrival of a flotilla of ships from Pacific nations for the biennial Rim of the Pacific naval exercises, a U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile successfully intercepted its intended target during a test Monday night. Garden Island.

Next week, Hawaii will mark one year of extreme drought and it looks like there's no relief in sight. Hawaii News Now.

Lawmakers grilled state officials Tuesday over taxpayer dollars spent to put a damper on airport security fines. KHON2.

Officials at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture say a common pest is becoming more noticeable. KHON2

The Department of Water Supply needs to tighten its internal controls because an employee was able to steal more than $78,000, an audit released Monday says. West Hawaii Today.

A bill that makes numerous changes in the Puna Community Development Plan is headed to a County Council committee with a negative recommendation from the Windward Planning Commission. Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

A new transitional housing project in West Hawaii means more units available for families in need, but will provide less than half the number of units Hawaii County officials have said they planned to build at the site. West Hawaii Today.

Maunaloa Elementary School has passed the second of four hurdles in the community’s effort to keep the school open. Molokai Dispatch.

The Kaua‘i County Council has again deferred a bill that would allow farmers who meet certain criteria to build up to three farm-worker houses on their properties. Garden Island.

Patrons and friends of the 55-year-old Lahaina Public Library — which badly needs refurbishing — will get a chance to show their support next month, when the Royal Lahaina Resort and Rotary Club of Lahaina host a first-of-its-kind fund-raiser. Lahaina News.

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.

Hannemann to announce today, Abercrombie v Hannemann battle nothing new, one-third islander marriages mixed, cops' dirty dancer no prostitute, more Hawaii news

Nearly one-third of marriages in the Islands are between interracial couples — by far the largest percentage in the country and four times the national average, according to a new analysis of the latest census figures.

Diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer and other diseases -- many lifestyle- related -- have reached "epidemic" proportions in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands, a crisis that grips Hawaii because many islanders choose to live here under the Compact of Free Association.

Big Islanders live shorter lives and face higher cancer, heart disease and suicide rates compared with the rest of Hawaii, according to a recent report on health on Hawaii Island.

In 1986 Neil Abercrombie was the experienced, confident front-runner, while Mufi Hannemann was the aggressive, well-funded newcomer. Yet both ultimately lost the battle for the 1st Congressional District.

Hanneman opens campaign office, announcement expected soon

Central O'ahu could become home to the largest solar energy farm in the state under a proposal by Castle & Cooke Hawai'i Inc. to produce enough electricity from the sun to power 6,000 homes.

State Labor Director Darwin Ching has submitted his resignation, effective June 15, to seek election as Honolulu prosecutor.

Hawaii's wedding industry has been hit hard by the struggling economy, but the summer season and an easy to remember wedding date are offering up a much needed boost.

A bar employee who performed a "dirty dance" with a customer after a Honolulu Police Department undercover officer bought her two $40 drinks did not commit prostitution because the state did not prove the employee performed the dance in exchange for the drinks, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

Two giant pipes filled with holes - that's the solution to help prevent property damage in Manoa. Four years after the some of the worst flooding in Hawaii's history, residents got a look at how it'll work.

The Hawaii Department of Education said Wednesday even though the teachers' union has agreed with the State and the Board of Education to end 17 teacher furlough Fridays next school year, two other unions representing school workers still have not signed off on the deal.

Gov. Linda Lingle signed tougher anti-graffiti legislation into law earlier this month, but for it to work, offenders must first be caught, police and community leaders said.

As David Lyman walked through the future West Hawaii Civic Center Tuesday morning, construction workers placed a steel roofing frame on the last building at the project site.

Photographs taken by more than 10 residents show reef damage, which they claim was caused Friday by fishermen trying to net a school of akule, or big-eyed scad, off Keauhou.

A large crowd, from serious bidders to the "niele" attended Maui County's first property tax foreclosure auction in more than a decade Tuesday.



As Kaua‘i’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percent in April to 8.9 percent, WorkWise in Lihu‘e continued to experience the same amount of “traffic” through its doors, said Bill Grier, the branch manager of Kaua‘i’s “one-stop job center.”

We all know the greats of Hawaiian music. You can’t walk through the airport or the mall without hearing The Brothers Cazimero or IZ floating into your ears.

Feds give Hawaii $125.7M for roads, health insurers ailing, Maui sewage spill from tsunami still lingers, bank robbers active on Oahu, businesses to get tax relief, other top news from Hawaii

Hawaii received $125.7 million of the $26.6 billion allotted nationwide for highways under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the White House announced yesterday.

Hawaii Medical Service Association, reeling from a $64.4 million loss in 2009—its worst annual loss ever—is requesting an average 7.8 percent small-business rate increase for its most popular health plan and said it is making a fundamental change in the way it reimburses its medical providers.

The Hawaii Medical Service Association plans to raise premiums by an average of 7.8 percent for roughly 11,000 small businesses that buy health insurance for their employees.

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Hawaii sustained a $7 million loss in the fourth quarter amid declining revenue as more members lost their jobs and enrolled in the state's Quest program for low-income individuals.

The robbery of a Central Pacific Bank branch in Makiki yesterday makes the seventh bank heist of the year, nearly double the number reported at the same time last year.
It was another cool, but noisy night of high winds.

Monday's monthly siren test also tested emergency sirens that reportedly didn't fire on Saturday.

Relief is on its way for thousands of Hawaii employers now facing close to a 1000 percent increase in their unemployment insurance taxes.

Developer DW Aina Lea has about a month left to complete 16 affordable housing units at the Aina Lea project in South Kohala.

A day after a small tsunami generated by a giant earthquake in Chile just kissed Hawaii's shores, Maui county officials were still advising the public to stay out of some ocean areas because of sewage spills.

The Point at Po‘ipu’s timeshare management company said Monday that complaints about rising maintenance fees are based on a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the business, promising a lawsuit against the most vociferous owners within a week.

Pirates of the Caribbean brings Hollywood to Hawaii, well-being tops in the nation, Oahu hotels expect improvement, survey anti-smoking, more top news

It's Hollywood in Hawaii, as the Black Pearl arrives.  That's the ship featured in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.

One of the stars of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" isn't waiting around for Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz to hit wardrobe and makeup.

A national survey reports Hawaii finally leads America in something good: our sense of well-being.

There was a stunt scare at Kualoa. Firefighters thought they needed to save a life.It turns out the "emergency" was an action scene being filmed near Chinaman's Hat.

Hawai'i's hotel executives expect to see some improvement in Waikīkī bookings this year but caution that the recovery may take longer on the Neighbor Islands.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann's personal attacks on Gov. Linda Lingle are hurting the city's plans for rail transit, according to rail supporter and candidate for governor U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie.

Ninety-two percent of respondents in a recent survey agreed that a portion of Hawai'i's tobacco settlement monies should be dedicated for programs to reduce smoking among minors and to other quit-smoking programs, the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii said Monday.

Living legend Dorothy "Auntie Dottie" Thompson, 89, waves to the crowd of friends and family members who press in to congratulate her Saturday after her award as the YWCA Hawaii Island Remarkable Person for 2010 in a ceremony at the YWCA community hall on Ululani Street.

Last December, 16-year-old June Mohr, of Kailua-Kona, rang bells for The Salvation Army during its holiday collection drive and sent 50 care packages to soldiers overseas.

Nobody saw it or heard anything, but the evidence was gruesomely evident the next morning: 17 sheep and goats in three paddocks on an Olinda property, dead.

While New Orleans and the nation celebrates Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, here in Hawai‘i, the population celebrates the day before Lent as Malasada Tuesday, or Malasada Day

Lawmakers target taxes, hospitals, restaurants and drunk drivers, Census seeks better representation, Chinatown and cherry blossoms celebrated, more

The state Senate is set to discuss a bill Monday to privatize Hawaii Health Systems Corp. as a nonprofit organization.

For some legislative observers, the very idea that lawmakers will raise your taxes had become more of a "fait accompli" even before the starting gun had been shot.

Impounding a drunk driver's car for a year and furthering the education of bartenders and servers at the core of two new bills being introduced to the state Legislature this year.

The ingredients in entrees served at restaurants across the state are the target of new legislation at Hawaii's Capitol.

Local census officials estimate Hawai'i lost out on $310 million in federal funding over the past 10 years because of "undercounting" in the 2000 census.

Maui's commercial real estate industry sure isn't as bad as on the Mainland, said veteran local leasing broker Ed Bello of Bello Realty Inc., who on a recent business trip to Colorado saw a bankrupt big-box store converted into a charter school and a former Blockbuster Video into a veterinary clinic.

The state is driving the adoption of electric and alternate vehicles through a variety of mandates and grants, but the push could add to costs at government agencies and businesses already grappling with the worst economy in decades.

The Year of the Golden Tiger will be celebrated this year in conjunction with Valentine's Day, an occurrence that happened only a few times during the past century. But don't let the added romanticism fool you.

Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, has posted a profit for the fourth quarter and for full year 2009.

An idea to keep Waimea from falling off the map as the Big Island grew has become a full-fledged explosion of color and fun for Big Island residents.

Parents and school officials have long questioned whether Hawaii students are prepared for life beyond high school.

Consumers are changing the way they use energy, said Brad Parsons of Kauaians for a Bright Future.

The Chinatown art renaissance continues.

Lucky we live Hawaii, economy drops a bit, H1N1 vaccines available, bus service continuing

People in sunny, outdoorsy states -- Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida -- say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

The latest economic forecast says Hawai'i could see some recovery starting early next year, though it will be weak and not shared by all sectors.

The state Council on Revenues trimmed the state's revenue forecast yesterday, but the reduction was less than state lawmakers feared, and economists spoke optimistically about the state moving out of the recession.

The state's budget deficit grew by about $40 million as the Council on Revenues reduced its revenue forecast by one percentage point, predicting tax money for the 2010 fiscal year to come in about 2.5 percent lower than a year ago.

East Hawaii businesses that depend on the cruise ship industry will continue sailing through the doldrums of stagnant tourism in 2010.

Kamehameha Schools spent 5.5 percent less on educational programs in the 2009 fiscal year than the year before, though the trust said it increased its reach to Native Hawaiian children by 16 percent compared to last year.

The Department of Education said on Thursday that school bus services will not end in the spring and any claims that they will end are completely false.

The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Thursday approved changes in the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act that would provide a much faster route to a sovereign Native Hawaiian government.

If you're looking to get vaccinated against swine flu there's good news. The Department of Health expanded the range so more people can get the nasal spray.

The Hawaii Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a dispute over environmental law. At stake is a plan to expand the Turtle Bay Resort.

A Legacy Land Conservation Commission grant, combined with money from the county's Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation fund, will be used to buy 10 acres in North Kohala.

The state Water Resource Management Commission decided on Thursday afternoon to postpone a decision in the contested case over 19 East Maui streams.

From the time Ken D’Attilio of Inter-Island Helicopters decided to get out of the tour business, the company phone hasn’t stopped ringing with inquiries about tours, a company spokesman said.

Wrapping up what has been an occasionally contentious 2009 with quite possibly its most heated meeting to date, the Kaua‘i Board of Ethics on Thursday laid out the path it will take on its way to clarifying a controversial section of the County Charter.

Lingle opposes Akaka Bill changes, facelift for Volcano House, boat fees going up, more news

The Lingle administration, which has consistently backed federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, opposes changes to the bill pending before Congress because of "potentially enormous" implications to the relationship between Hawaiians and the state.

The value of Kamehameha Schools' endowment fell by more than $2.2 billion in the wake of the global economic meltdown, prompting some belt tightening at the state's wealthiest charitable trust

Talks between the teachers union and state officials to restore instructional time for students resume today as hope grows that a joint solution can be arrived at before the start of the 2010 Hawaii Legislature.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia scored higher than Hawaii in a study of public health emergency preparedness released today.

The state is turning up the heat on illegal vendors at Kealakekua Bay.

The Department of Health (DOH) confirms that Hawaii did receive some of the child H1N1 vaccines that are now being recalled.

The National Park Service plans an estimated $7.2 million in renovations to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's historic Volcano House hotel, with more than half that amount to be invested by a concessionaire who will take over the facility's contract next year.

The number of fully loaded containers coming into Kawaihae Harbor peaked in 2007, with the equivalent of nearly 99,000 20-foot containers arriving.

One result of switching many state employees' mail-order prescriptions to Florida is that Paradise Pharmacy will close today after 20 years in business in Pukalani.

Technically, Hawai‘i’s small-boat harbors system has been operating contradictory to state law since its inception.

Beach ownership at issue, changes in H1N1 vaccine rules, North Shore land for sale and other news

The Intermediate Court of Appeals is scrutinizing a Hawaii law passed in 2003 that declares that new, naturally formed beach land above the high-water mark should belong to the public -- not adjoining private property owners.

In response to mounting criticism about how the short supply of swine flu vaccine is being distributed in Hawai'i, the state will change the way it doles out the vaccine.

Nearly 100 acres of agricultural land next to the Turtle Bay Resort on O'ahu's North Shore are headed for a sealed-bid sale, four years after a Florida-based investment firm bought the oceanfront property for $2 million with plans to subdivide it for potential residential use.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka will be holding 15 information briefings from December 1 to December 8 to explain changes in the way federal workers in Hawaii will be paid.

Honolulu police said officers opened fire on a car that as accelerating toward them on Saturday, marking the third officer-involved shooting in a month.

A North Shore surf instructor on Saturday rescued a family visiting from the Mainland who had been swept out to sea while bodyboarding at Hanalei Bay.

Longtime Hana community leader, Realtor and former Maui News community correspondent Carl Lindquist and his wife, Rae, have been reported missing after the wreckage of their car was found in a Hana streambed, police said Saturday evening.

Hundreds of children and children-at-heart lined the streets of downtown Hilo Saturday evening to catch their first glimpse of Santa Claus.

On a Sunday in October, three Waimea men gather at 7 a.m. on private grazing land in South Kohala to hunt goats. For them it is partly foraging and partly tradition.

Ulupalakua Ranch owner Pardee Erdman has donated more than 11,000 acres to the Maui Coastal Land Trust.

When Debbie Hecht suggested to the Hawaii County Charter Commission that it should add an amendment making the Two Percent for Public Lands law a part of the County Charter, she got less than she bargained for.

Obama coming home for Christmas, Hawaiians win homelands lawsuit, first female U.S. attorney, more

After a 10-year court battle and decades of waiting in vain for homesteads, plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit won a judgment against the state for failing to promptly award home lots to native Hawaiians under the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust.

More than 2,700 Native Hawaiians have won a class-action lawsuit that accused the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands of failing to meet its trust obligations.

Hawaii News Now has learned that President Barack Obama is planning to spend the Christmas holidays in Hawaii.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is seeking double-digit rate hikes for most of its members under proposed increases pending before the state Insurance Division.

The state Department of Health is advising the public to be patient while waiting for wider availability of the H1N1 influenza vaccine — and, meanwhile, to keep washing your hands and covering your coughs and sneezes.

The District of Hawaii's very first female U.S. Attorney is now officially appointed.

Friends, family, colleagues and leaders of Hawaii law enforcement filled a federal court yesterday afternoon as Florence Nakakuni was sworn in as the first female U.S. attorney in the history of the state.

Proposals floating in the Senate would restore public school days lost to teacher furloughs by raiding the $180 million Hurricane Relief Fund or a combination of the disaster fund and federal stimulus dollars.

Just a day after five city sweepers were indicted on a charge of theft in an overtime scam, KITV has learned that two of the indicted men were city supervisors, who nearly doubled their income with overtime, making almost $100,000 a year.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources came under fire Tuesday night for a proposal to begin charging entrance fees at Akaka Falls and Hapuna Beach state parks, among numerous other proposals.

The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that gives the Planning Department greater flexibility in deciding when to require a costly shoreline certification.

It turns out there is a free ride after all. Just ask the thousands of people who use Hawaii County's Hele-On bus service.

More than 400 streetlights will soon be sporting a new glow, thanks to a $737,800 grant Hawaii County has received from the federal government.

When Billy Kenoi recently vetoed a trial program to allow Puna residents to live in tents on their property while they built homes, he said the bill singled out one district for unequal treatment.

Agriculture takes another big hit, Oahu home sales up, health insurance worries employers

Hawaii will be left with just one big grower of pineapple, Dole Food Co., and a handful of small farms next month when Maui Land & Pineapple ends production of what was once the state's single biggest cash crop.

Hawaii's once-rich agricultural industry, renowned throughout the 1900s for its pineapple and sugar crops, has suffered another devastating blow.

Maui Land & Pineapple Co. announced today that it will cease pineapple operations by the end of the year and restructure its resort and land development division.

Department of Land and Natural Resources officials are continuing their public pitch to garner support for their Recreational Renaissance plan.

Sales of Oahu homes rose to their highest level in more than a year and a half in October, although still below the peak of recent years.

Hawaii's congressional delegation said bills in both the U.S. House and the Senate will protect Hawaii's system of employer-paid health insurance, but that worries many local employers who said health insurance costs soaring higher each year are a huge burden.

Balancing Hawaii County's budget could require selling more property than the 737 acres of vacant Paauilo lands up for County Council liquidation approval Wednesday.

More than 50 people spoke up about a land transparency bill during a public hearing Monday night, and this time, most were against it.

Drought, Tropical Storm Neki vie for top headlines

Despite the beginning of Hawaii's flash flood season, drought conditions persist in many areas of the state, forcing some Big Island agricultural producers to haul water to thirsty cattle grazing on shriveled pastures or to irrigate crops.

The National Weather Service says Tropical Storm Neki is about 825 miles south of Honolulu and moving west-northwest at about 14 mph

See the storm:

Three U.S. military researchers from Hawaii will be in the world spotlight this week when they present the results of the largest-ever clinical trial of an AIDS vaccine at a research conference in Paris.

With the first furlough of public school teachers set for this Friday, many community child care programs are reporting heavy interest from parents, though some parents say they will probably keep their kids home with grandma or older siblings.

NewSpace Entertainment announced today that Bill Cosby will perform live for only two performances at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, Friday, January 15 at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Astronomers, as a group, are not known for throwing block parties. Or parties in general.

The crowd at the Honokaa County Gymnasium was small but enthusiastic Saturday, rallying for greater transparency in the county's land-selling process.

The reefs are alive and are damaged when people walk on them, Kaua‘i Save Our Seas President Paul Clark said Sunday.

A whitetip reef shark research project has some Big Island photographers literally swimming with sharks in the name of science.

'Barbarian' princess stirs controversy, energy projects emerge, and other top Hawaii news

The 29th annual Hawaii International Film Festival launched yesterday at the Sheraton Waikiki's RumFire with a spirited news conference that included Q'orianka Kilcher, star of the much-debated "Barbarian Princess," a feature film premiering to a sold-out Hawaii Theatre tonight.

The premiere Friday night is sold out. But the Hawaii International Film Festival has added another showing of the Princess Kailuani Movie, Barbarian Princess.

Sempra Generation of San Diego announced Friday that it is taking over the wind generation project at Ulupalakua originally proposed by Shell Wind but in abeyance for several years.

More than 30,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine have been shipped to Hawaii, but only the most at-risk people will be eligible for the drug, health officials say.

Fire and police officials are investigating an early-morning fire Wednesday that gutted a senior center building under construction at the Hale Mahaolu Ehiku complex in Kihei, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damage.

A new contract with the state's largest public workers union will bring "substantial" savings, but not enough to prevent the first round of layoffs for about 750 state workers, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday.

The labor savings from collective bargaining will not be enough to close the state's budget deficit, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday, adding that the state would not immediately resort to a second round of layoffs to help make up the difference.

While saying she was pleased that the Hawaii Government Employees Association reached a tentative agreement Wednesday with the state and the four counties, Mayor Charmaine Tavares warned that the county faces a steep challenge next fiscal year.

The University of Hawaii hopes to see utility savings by closing buildings during the winter and spring breaks if Hawaii Government Employees Association members approve a new two-year contract.

The joint venture between go! and Mokulele airlines began Thursday with a few glitches

The lines for free meals around Hilo just keep getting longer.

The rules are different here, several members of the Hawaii County Board of Ethics said Wednesday as they considered Mayor Billy Kenoi's proposal to tighten the ethics code.

For the second time in as many months, the county Board of Ethics has found that Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole broke the county's ethics law.

The agreement between the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative and Pacific West Energy to potentially bring a 20-megawatt biomass-to-energy project to Kaua‘i is a “major” advancement and “something we’ve been working on for years,” but “several steps” still remain, KIUC President and CEO Randall Hee said Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawai'i has put the Hawaii County Council on notice that police helicopter flyovers for marijuana eradication are believed to be in violation of the Hawaii Constitution, the state's medical marijuana law, and the county's Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance.

Local advocacy groups are awaiting a response from the Federal Communications Commission on a challenge filed last week to stop a shared services agreement involving three local television stations

Top Hawaii Headlines: Thursday morning edition

The state Supreme Court yesterday denied a request by the Lingle administration and state House and Senate leaders to reconsider a March ruling that led to the shutdown of Hawai'i Superferry.

An effort to balance the state budget could keep visitors from heading to Hawaii. A small change in Hawaii's room tax will make big waves, not only in Waikiki, but across the state - with the island's tourism industry.

The University of Hawaii announced on Wednesday that it will not have the traditional handshake at the Manoa campus graduation.

A Maui resident who became sick in Washington state is among four more cases of swine flu reported for Hawaii, bringing the state's total to 10, according to the state Department of Health.

The Honolulu City Council is pushing a 3-cent-a-gallon fuel tax increase and plans to discuss raising property taxes next week.

Honolulu on Wednesday suspended the commuter ferry service known as TheBoat, a spokesman said.

The $2.5 billion attack submarine USS Hawaii left the East Coast yesterday en route to its new home port at Pearl Harbor.

Hawaii County has fired its contractors and taken back the Kamakoa at Waikoloa Workforce Housing project.

Seeking to subdivide his Glenwood property to create homesites for his children, Mayor Billy Kenoi wants one of his Cabinet appointees to exempt the parcels from minimum water requirements.

In typical and traditional Native Hawaiian fashion, Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry is not just administering his huge department for the present.

Officials yesterday recovered the body of a woman in a ravine off Waimano Trail, in a renewed search effort prompted by the reappearance just hours before of a missing woman's pet dog.

Tobacco taxes face 40% hike

HONOLULU -- It’s not a good time to be a smoker.

State lawmakers are scrounging about in a tough budget year, looking for spare cash that will raise the fewest hackles possible.

They’ve lighted upon tobacco as the fattest bad boy in town and are contemplating up to 40 percent tax increases.

The anti-smoking attitude was exemplified in a proclamation declaring Feb. 27 as “Kick Butts Day” read by Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona earlier today in front of a hundred or so screaming young people. The red-T-shirt-clad audience was a coalition from Hawaii Real, and they were sending their message loud and clear.

"We see the new smokeless alternatives as an attempt to create a new generation of tobacco users," Aiona said in a statement. "But I am very proud that more adults and teens are making the right decision not to smoke."

This is one cause that state lawmakers seem to agree with the administration on, at least in a year when tax pickings are slim. Both the House and the Senate have bills hiking taxes on tobacco products.

The House bill, HB 1175, would increase the per-cigarette tax from 10 cents to 14 cents.

The Senate bill, SB 38, raises the tax on other tobacco products from 40 percent of the wholesale price to 60 percent. SB 38 unanimously cleared the Senate Health Committee and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday.

Advocates note that increasing tobacco taxes and using the money to educate youth on the dangers of smoking has dramatically cut teens’ smoking.

Fewer than 10 percent of the high school students say they have smoked at least once in the past 30 days, compared to almost 25 percent in 2000. But smokeless tobacco use has increased during the same period, said Trisha Nakamura, policy and advocacy director for the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii.

“A tax increase will not only bring revenue into our State but it will reduce youth tobacco use,” Nakamura said.

Not everyone thinks tobacco users should be targeted for tax increases, however.

“I'm opposed to this hate and this madness. Would you please leave our people that smoke alone?” said Michael Zehner.