ACLU sues over Hawaii election, Ige pulls out of gubernatorial debate, Abercrombie asks Obama for disaster declaration, fired DOE official sues, regents approve interim UH-Manoa chancellor, new Obamacare vendor, incinerator bidders want more time, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii County polling place © 2014 All Hawaii News

A group of Pahoa residents, working with the American Civil Liberties Union in Hawaii, have filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court, asking the state’s top judges to allow every resident affected by Tropical Storm Iselle to cast a ballot in the primary. West Hawaii Today.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii on Thursday filed a legal challenge to the primary election on behalf of six voters in Puna on Hawaii island who said they were unable to vote because of the damage left by Tropical Storm Iselle. Star-Advertiser.

Big Island voters who were unable to get to the polls because of Tropical Storm Iselle may get an opportunity to cast their ballots if the American Civil Liberties Union prevails in a lawsuit filed with the Hawaii Supreme Court on Thursday. The ACLU of Hawaii levied the complaint against the state on behalf of six Big Island voters, all of whom live in the rural, storm-ravaged Puna district and all of whom were not allowed to vote because they were trapped by fallen trees and power lines. Civil Beat.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Thursday filed a legal challenge to the primary election with the Hawaii Supreme Court on behalf of voters in the Puna area of the Big Island who couldn’t vote in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Iselle. Hawaii News Now.

A new lawsuit is asking the State Supreme Court to allow people who weren’t able to vote because of the storm to do so in a special election before Sept. 20. KHON2.

The ACLU and a group of Pahoa residents have filed lawsuit over alleged voting rights violations that came as a result of bad legislative practices in the wake of Hurricane Iselle. Hawaii Independent.

A lawsuit was filed in state Supreme Court today challenging the makeup election held on Friday, August 15, for two Hawaiʻi Island precincts that were closed on primary election day due to the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Iselle. Maui Now.

Hawaii’s Democratic candidate for governor has pulled out of the first debate of the general election because of a disagreement with the forum’s organizers about video distribution. Associated Press.

The company that fixed the federal Obamacare health insurance exchange is preparing to replace embattled contractor CGI Group Inc. as the main technology vendor for the faulty Hawaii Health Connector. Star-Advertiser.

Former DOE official sues department. As the Department of Education's chief procurement officer, Andrell Aoki managed over $100 million in contract awards each year. But in March, the Mililani resident said the DOE fired her because she questioned the legality of several multi-million dollar contracts relating to the DOE's "Race to the Top" program. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii Environmental Council’s annual strategic planning meeting on Thursday started with weighty discussions of two major problems confronting the state: climate change and invasive species. Civil Beat.

Opinion: Meet Some of Hawaii’s Civic Hackers. Are you digging into campaign finance data? There are apps for that. Here are the local geeks who built them. Civil Beat.

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake woke some residents up early Friday morning. No tsunami was generated. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Despite calls from University of Hawaii at Manoa students and faculty for the reinstatement of Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple, the Board of Regents unanimously voted Thursday to approve an interim replacement. Robert Bley-Vroman, dean of Manoa's College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, was named to a one-year term, effective Sept. 1, with a $275,016 salary. Star-Advertiser.

As University of Hawaii president David Lassner and the Board of Regents listened, testifiers vented their frustration over a lack of information on the firing of former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple. Hawaii News Now.

The sale of Waikiki's largest shopping center in June contributed to a record level of Hawaii commercial real estate purchases during the first half of the year as institutional investors continued a buying binge that took hold last year. Star-Advertiser.

The area around Ala Moana Center has a lot going for it, according to Nate Cherry, a California architect who has created a new vision for the neighborhood through a new Transit Oriented Development plan for Honolulu's rail system that will be presented to the public next week. Pacific Business News.

The stranding of flying gurnard fish in July on various Oahu beaches was prompted by a natural life-cycle event, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a request seeking a Presidential Disaster Declaration for federal assistance in recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Iselle. Tribune-Herald.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a request Thursday for a presidential disaster declaration for individual assistance for Hawaii island to pay for damage caused by Tropical Storm Iselle. Star-Advertiser.

Finalists for a waste-to-energy incinerator at a pre-bid conference Thursday asked county officials for more time to prepare their proposals, but Mayor Billy Kenoi, on a fast track to get a facility on the ground before he leaves office in late 2016, said three months is long enough. West Hawaii Today.

The Konawaena High School library’s doors remain open. Despite a reduction in the librarian position to part time, the facility is open to students over lunch and recess and to groups of students under the supervision of teachers during class times, Principal Shawn Suzuki said. The library is also used for after-school tutoring, he said. West Hawaii Today.

Kauai

Dillon St. Clair doesn’t ride the school bus. His mother is troubled by the logistics of his transportation from their home in Kalaheo to Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. If the sixth-grader rode the bus, he would be away from home 10 hours every day. Garden Island.

Honolulu affordable housing plans mulled, Schatz rakes in campaign funds, Ellison plans Lanai wine and food fest, no tuition hike for University of Hawaii, dead fish litter Oahu beach, starving monk seals hospitalized in Kona, gubernatorial candidates to debate tonight, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Hale © 2014 All Hawaii News

Honolulu City Council leaders say they now want to seriously consider scrapping plans to sell off the city's rental housing stock and instead resurrecting a full-fledged housing department that would oversee buildings and programs that assist the homeless and others who need affordable housing. Star-Advertiser.

When Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed Brian Schatz in December 2012 to replace the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, the rationale was that Schatz was the best choice for Hawaii's political future. Star-Advertiser.

As the race for Hawaii's U.S. Senate seat heats up, the big money is beginning to pour in. Preliminary figures show that Sen. Brian Schatz has raised more than $820,000 during the second quarter 2014, it's best quarter in a year. Hawaii News Now.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz raised about $822,000 during the past quarter in the Democratic primary for Senate, sending his fundraising total over $4.8 million for the campaign. Star-Advertiser.

Several U.S. Senate Democrats are fast-tracking a bill,  the Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act, they say will counter the U.S. Supreme Court's  Hobby Lobby decision. Those senators include Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Mark Udall, D-Colo. Hawaii Reporter.

This may be the last chance for Hawaii television viewers to see the two major Democratic candidates for Governor face-off in an hour-long, live prime-time debate. It's at 7 pm Thursday on all three Hawaii News Now stations -- KGMB, KHNL and KFVE.

University of Hawaii campuses will need to assume flat tuition rates — not the previously approved annual 7 percent hikes — when planning their operating budgets for the next two fiscal years. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission will be without its longest-serving member and chair for the last two years when it meets July 23 to tackle the implementation of a public financial disclosure law that has so far prompted the resignations of 18 board members. Leolani Abdul was denied her request to serve another four-year term on the commission. Civil Beat.

Resignations over a new law requiring public disclosure of financial interests for members of various state boards and commission have forced the cancellation of at least three board meetings this week. The number of resignations is now up to a total of 18. Star-Advertiser.

Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the Chicago-based fiscal watchdog Truth in Accounting, said Hawaii can’t claim it's being fiscally prudent because the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund is “drowning in debt.” Hawaii Reporter.

Living Hawaii: The Surprising Price Tag for New Car Buyers in the Islands. Long-distance shipping affects the cost of many goods in Hawaii, but that's not the case for our vehicles. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The $54.6 million the University of Hawaii at Manoa is slated to spend on basic repair and maintenance work this year will hardly make a dent in the school’s notorious backlog, officials say. Civil Beat.

It’s a sight not often seen on the shores of Oahu — dead fish, by the thousands, washing up on the south and west shores. KHON2.

Thousands of people jammed the new Downtown Honolulu Walmart on Wednesday, the first day of business for Hawaii's 10th Walmart store, to buy everything from art supplies, to slippers to DVDs. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Four malnourished Hawaiian monk seals from remote atolls northwest of Hawaii's main islands arrived Wednesday for emergency care at a new seal hospital in Kailua-Kona. Associated Press.

For the last 50 years, the Big Island Substance Abuse Council has served Hawaii residents by treating individuals who abuse alcohol and drugs. Tribune-Herald.

North Hawaii Community Hospital will participate in the Rim of the Pacific maritime drills on Friday. West Hawaii Today.

Commentary: Six Myths About County’s Waste Incineration Plan. Big Island Now.

Maui

AARP Hawaii will sponsor a gubernatorial debate between Governor Neil Abercrombie and state Senator David Ige at the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului on Friday, July 18. Maui Now.

On Maui, activists are trying to create a temporary moratorium on GMOS. An organization called The Shaka Movement has put together a ballot initiative for a temporary moratorium on growing genetically modified crops. Hawaii Pubic Radio.

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa plans to triple the size of its ballroom, enlarge its spa and build a three- to four-story parking garage. The Kaanapali resort is seeking permits for the $55 million project. Associated Press.

The Maui County Council has rejected a resolution for a charter amendment proposal limiting the powers of a public commission that reviews county operations. The measure would have placed the commission under the control of the county auditor. Associated Press.

Maui County received an average 2.6 percent interest rate on 20-year bond sales that netted a total of $75.4 million, county Finance Director Danny Agsalog has announced. Maui News.

Maui’s own voyaging canoe, the Moʻokiha o Piʻilani, is scheduled to launch on Friday, July 11, from Māla Wharf in Lahaina. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai Rising’s proposed charter amendment aimed at regulating the island’s genetically modified crop industry may not be a charter amendment after all. And whether it will end up on the November ballot is questionable. Garden Island.

Three of the four candidates vying to be the next mayor of Kauai kept things civil during this election season’s first forum on Wednesday. Garden Island.

The "littoral combat ship" that was to make up one-sixth of the U.S. Navy fleet continues to be a work in progress as one of the vessels heads out from Pearl Harbor to take part in a "sink exercise" off Kauai during Rim of the Pacific war games. Star-Advertiser.

Lanai

Another wine and food festival is being planned for Hawaii, this time on the island of Lanai, which will be spearheaded by Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison, the tech billionaire who owns 98 percent of the island. Pacific Business News.

Obama expands Pacific conservation zone, pay hikes for Hawaii school chief, substitute teachers, garbage incinerator mulled for Big Island, Kauai to eradicate feral cats, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pacific Marine Sanctuary, courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Vowing to protect fragile marine life, President Barack Obama acted Tuesday to create the world’s largest ocean preserve by expanding a national monument his predecessor established in waters thousands of miles from the American mainland. Associated  Press.

Hawaii conservationists Tuesday welcomed a proposal by President Barack Obama to create the world's largest marine sanctuary in the Central Pacific, calling it a significant step toward protecting diverse habitats and preventing large-scale overfishing. But fishermen said such an ocean preserve would threaten livelihoods. Star-Advertiser.

State Sen. Malama Solomon criticized the ongoing federal protection of humpback whales and said they should be removed from the endangered species list during a public meeting on the Big Island last month. Civil Beat.

The base salary for public schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi is going up 33 percent to $200,000 next month, marking her first pay increase since taking office in 2010, and the first time in 14 years the salary for the Education Department's top position has been increased. Star-Advertiser.

The superintendent of Hawaii’s statewide public school system will receive a raise for the first time in 14 years, a 30 percent increase to $200,000 per year under a new salary provision approved by the Hawaii State Board of Education on Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii substitute teachers will get two sets of pay increases starting July 1 to keep pace with the collectively bargained raises awarded to public school teachers. Star-Advertiser.

A Republican’s GMO Bill Would Set National Standard. Despite biotech industry support, the proposal is unlikely to pass. But it raises the question of whether a national law would quell the debate raging in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Mufi Hannemann, the Hawaii Independent Party candidate for governor, has a unique media platform that his opponents don’t enjoy. The former Honolulu mayor pens a regular column for MidWeek and hosts a Saturday program on KKOL Kool Gold 107.9 FM. Civil Beat.

The Seafarers International Union of North America has endorsed Gov. Neil Abercrombie in his re-election bid. Associated Press.

Oahu

Front-line staff at the state's juvenile detention facility in Kapolei are routinely required to work 16-hour and occasionally even 24-hour shifts because of staff shortages, something that some staff said creates an unsafe environment for the troubled kids they are supposed to protect. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu's mayor is expected to unveil new initiatives on Wednesday to help move homeless people off the streets of Waikiki. Hotels and businesses hope the bills will reduce the complaints coming from tourists. Hawaii News Now.

Contaminated Dirt Triggers Military Housing Lawsuit. A federal judge in Honolulu will decide next week whether a potential class-action lawsuit against Forest City, the private developer of residential  housing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, can go forward. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

A waste-to-energy incinerator will be the solution to Hawaii County’s garbage problems, judging by a list of finalists released Tuesday for the project. All three companies making the short list specialize in mass-burn incineration, with garbage combusted to produce power to sell to electric companies. West Hawaii Today.

Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille isn’t the only one fuming about a likely waste-to-energy incinerator for Hawaii County. Thirty-one testifiers, from rubbish and recycling companies to environmentalists to schoolteachers, gave their input Tuesday on Wille’s resolution seeking to put the brakes to the project. West Hawaii Today.

Bobby Jean Leithead Todd has “good legal title” to be the Environmental Management director, her attorney said in a court filing Friday. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Youth ChalleNGe Academy, a program of the National Guard with a focus on at-risk teenagers, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new location Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

Accelerator program to boost filmmaking, media projects. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Make-A-Wish family survives hard landing on Maui. Hawaii News Now.

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa on Monday issued eight line-item vetoes to the county budget passed by the County Council earlier this month, saying that without this action money would be put "into projects that don't even exist yet and could potentially affect public service provided by our departments." Maui News.

Kauai

Organizers of a petition calling for a charter amendment regulating the use of pesticides and genetically modified crops on Kauai have until July 2 to have the required signatures validated. The Kauai Rising Charter Amendment Petitioners' Committee has been notified by Kauai County Clerk Ricky Wata­nabe that a petition submitted in late May was invalid. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: The contamination of natural Kaua‘i. The rare plants and wildlife of Kaua‘i are put at risk by the toxic chemicals used on the island’s GMO test fields. Hawaii Independent.

A Kauai lawmaker says his investigation of the county’s agricultural dedication law resulted in discovering “numerous serious violations of county law” by island landowners and agrochemical companies. Garden Island.

The Hawaii Crop Improvement Association has stirred up its leadership, installing Kirby Kester, formerly the applied genetics manager of BASF on Kauai, as its new president. Garden Island.

The goal is to eradicate them. A County of Kauai task force says officials must step up education efforts, strengthen local laws and use various methods to combat Kauai’s growing feral cat problem. Garden Island.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii is hoping the public will help it scour online photos of Kauai rainforest for signs of invasive trees. Associated Press.