Kim to be ousted as Senate president, medical marijuana dispensary bill advances, Maui anti-GMO lawsuit in court, Honolulu City Council lukewarm about housing department, Kenoi's campaign manager gets county job, Ellison closes only Lanai hotel for upgrades, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Conference committee on medical marijuana dispensaries, courtesy House Majority

Hawaii state Senate factions are realigning to make Ron Kouchi the chamber’s new chief, replacing Senate President Donna Mercado Kim after less than two years, sources confirmed Monday night. The votes are there to reorganize leadership before the session ends Thursday, sources said, noting that at least 16 senators in the 25-member Senate have signed on. It’s possible the Senate could vote on the resolution as soon as Tuesday. Civil Beat.

State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim confirmed late Monday night that she is likely to be replaced in a leadership shake-up that will put Kauai State Sen. Ron Kouchi in the Senate president's chair. Hawaii News Now.

Patients have waited nearly 15 years for legal access to medical marijuana in Hawaii, and they are now one step closer to reaching that goal. A bill to set up a system of medical marijuana dispensaries cleared its final committee hurdle on Monday, sending the bill to the full Legislature, where it’s expected to pass. Associated Press.

A bill to create a system of medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii cleared a huge hurdle on Monday. The measure seemed doomed last week, but patients celebrated after House and Senate negotiators finally approved the bill. Hawaii News Now.

Some 15 years after medical marijuana use became legal in Hawaii, lawmakers are suddenly on the verge of permitting dispensaries to sell the drug to the 13,000 patients across the state. In a highly unusual move, House and Senate negotiators Monday revived and then unanimously passed a medical pot dispensary bill that many observers had thought was dead and buried last week. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii could have medical marijuana dispensaries as soon as July 15 next year under a bill approved by a House-Senate conference committee Monday. Civil Beat.

Care home measure is deferred. The bill would have let separated couples live in one home. Star-Advertiser.

A Rundown of Survivors and Casualties at the Hawaii Legislature. Rail tax, Alii Place, Turtle Bay and autism bills advance. Payday loans, adult care home reform, school bullying and public housing bills die. Civil Beat.

Oahu

City Council Chairman Ernie Martin says he and his colleagues still have a lot of concerns about the lack of accountability and financial transparency surrounding the $6 billion rail project. Before the tax can be implemented it must get past Gov. David Ige’s veto pen and then be approved by the Honolulu City Council. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City Council members are lukewarm to the idea of re-establishing a city housing department. The idea came up last week during a discussion on Resolution 15-43 before the Council Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee meeting. Star-Advertiser.

After a tumultuous year, managers of the city's Handi-Van service have reassigned the head of the operation to a lower position in what's being called a “reorganization.”  Hawaii News Now.

Officials are looking for a new vice president take lead Oahu's paratransit service in the wake of John Black's demotion to safety coordinator. Associated Press.

HPD arrests more than a dozen women in massage parlor prostitution sting. Hawaii News Now.

Concerned Maili residents are upset at several NOAA volunteers who they say are harassing a pregnant monk seal. KHON2.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi’s campaign manager has been hired to head the county Office of Aging, a $110,000-plus position that oversees a department of 12 employees. Kimo Alameda was selected by a panel that did not include the mayor, said county officials. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Department of Health has cited Sanford’s Service Center Inc. in Pahoa for operating a solid waste management facility without a state permit. The department announced on Monday the filing the Notice of Violation and Order against Sanford’s. West Hawaii Today.

Prominent Hilo attorney Gerard Lee Loy died Friday of an apparent heart attack. He was 67. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The SHAKA Movement on Maui filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court, seeking an evidentiary hearing before continuing an injunction that delays the implementation of the Maui GMO moratorium. Maui Now.

The group that campaigned for a Maui ban on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms has appealed to a higher court in an attempt to free up the legal logjam that has prevented the law from going into effect.Star-Advertiser.

Panel sends $621 million budget to full council. Proposal includes reduced property tax rates and increased user fees. Maui News.

Kauai

Pesticide watchdogs are billing their recent trip to Syngenta’s hometown as a success. Kauai County Councilman Gary Hooser returned from Basal, Switzerland, where he addressed nearly 1,000 Syngenta stakeholders at the company’s shareholders meeting, asking the company to drop its lawsuit against the County of Kauai. Garden Island.

Lanai

The 201-room Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, which is owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, will temporarily close on June 1 for at least three months, taking nearly every room on Lanai offline for the summer and fall. Pacific Business News.

Molokai

A remote peninsula that has been the home of leprosy patients since the 19th century could be opened more fully to the public as the last remaining residents near the end of their lives. Associated Press.

Humpback whales could come off endangered species list, 53k sign petition against Thirty Meter Telescope, Most want GMO labeled, Hooser heads to Switerzerland to meet Syngenta, federal agent Deedy may not be tried in murder case, homeless increase, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Humpback whale, courtesy NOAA

Calling now-thriving humpback whales a national success story, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials want to remove most of the species’ populations from the endangered species list, including the 10,000 believed to be breeding and birthing around the Hawaiian Islands. Star-Advertiser.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday proposed removing more than two-thirds of the world’s humpback whales from the endangered species list after 45 years of conservation. Civil Beat.

The federal government on Monday proposed removing most of the world’s humpback whales from the endangered species list, saying the massive mammals have rebounded after 45 years of protections. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries officials want to reclassify humpbacks into 14 distinct populations, and remove 10 of those from the list. Associated Press.

The humpback whales that enter Hawaiian waters each winter to mate and give birth have grown in number at a rate so steady, federal regulators want to shed their status as an endangered species. Garden Island.

Most Hawaii voters support labeling food that contains genetically modified ingredients, according to a new Civil Beat poll. The survey revealed 65 percent of voters think there should be a requirement for GMO labeling, compared with 24 percent of respondents who disagree. Civil Beat.

A group of Hawaii lawmakers wants the state auditor to investigate alleged abuse of sick leave by state corrections officers. Dozens of prison officers have frequently call in sick on holidays and during major sports events. That leaves others officers working overtime to carry the load. Associated Press.

Whether or not e-cigarettes should be considered in the same category as smoking tobacco has become a debate across the country, and Hawaii is no exception. A bill that would ban people from smoking e-cigarettes wherever smoking is prohibited passed the Legislature last week, and now awaits the governor’s approval. It’s one of several anti-smoking bills under consideration, with the rest headed for conference committee to iron out differences between Senate and House versions. Civil Beat.

The cost of airfare to and from Hawaii destinations during the summer months has been falling, while fares to other U.S. cities have remained relatively flat, according to a study by Airlines Reporting Corp., which provides business services to travel agencies. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council starts discussion Wednesday on a variety of bills aimed at making the property tax system more equitable. The bills are based on recommendations made by the city’s 2014 Real Property Tax Advisory Commission. Star-Advertiser.

There are new fishing rules for Oahu aimed at protecting aquarium fish. According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, there are new daily commercial bag and size limits that apply to aquarium fish such as yellow tang and Moorish idol. There’s also a ban on taking certain butterfly fish. KHON2.

Oahu’s homeless population not only grew in 2015, but a higher percentage are living on the streets rather than in shelters, according to a draft of the latest annual “Point-in-Time Count” for Hono­lulu. The report — based on a count of sheltered homeless on the night of Jan. 25, followed by a five-day count of Oahu’s unsheltered — showed the highest number of homeless people on the island since 2009. Star-Advertiser.

The bankruptcy of a major parking lot concessionaire is costing the state and city of Honolulu more than $6,000 a day in lost revenue. Moana Parking Management LLC filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in Delaware bankruptcy court on Friday, shutting down its parking lot pay stations at the Honolulu Zoo, the Pali Lookout, Diamond Head Crater and Akaka Falls on the Big Island. Hawaii News Now.

The state judge who presided over Christopher Deedy’s two murder trials, which both ended with hung juries, says she will decide this week whether the U.S. State Department special agent will stand trial a third time for fatally shooting Kollin Elderts. Star-Advertiser.

Judge Karen Ahn is expected to make a decision sometime this week on whether all charges will be dropped against Federal Agent Christopher Deedy. Prosecutors want to try him for a third time on the lesser charges of manslaughter and assault. Hawaii News Now.

Is there too much commercial activity at Maunalua Bay in East Oahu? The state wants to hear from the bay’s many stakeholders, so it’s helping to create an advisory committee to get input and answers. KHON2.

More sand is heading to Kailua Beach Park, part of a weeklong sand replenishment project. But, before you can enjoy more sand, you have to deal with fewer parking spots. KITV4.

Hawaii

Vowing to continue a protest that has delayed construction of the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope for weeks, Hawaii island foes of the Mauna Kea project traveled to Oahu on Monday to deliver to Gov. David Ige a petition with more than 53,000 signatures. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige’s chief of staff used a traditional greeting Monday when he met members from a group of opponents against building a giant telescope near the summit of Mauna Kea. Members of Mauna Kea Hui and Mauna Kea Ohana crammed into an elevator to ride to the top floor of the state Capitol to hand-deliver to the governor’s office a thumb drive wrapped in red ribbon they said contains 53,000 signatures against building the Thirty Meter Telescope on a mountain considered sacred by Native Hawaiians. Associated Press.

The Mauna Kea Hui took a trip to Oahu on Monday to deliver a petition signed by 53,000 people to Hawaii’s governor calling for an end to the Thirty Meter Telescope project. While there, the group planned to hold a press conference with Honolulu media. The Hui also shared their prepared statement electronically. Big Island Video News.

Lower Puna students who were displaced in October because of the approaching June 27 lava flow will return to their home schools in the fall. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

House lawmakers are apparently poised to approve a bill to allow privatization of Maui Memorial Medical Center and two other state-owned medical facilities, a move that faces determined resistance from the state’s largest public worker union. Star-Advertiser.

Surface clearing of old munitions and explosives along with construction of educational signs are some of the actions being recommended in a plan to protect the public from hazards in a portion of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in Makena. Maui News.

Maui police issued a total of 764 citations to motorists during its recent participation in the National “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” campaign that ran from April 6 to April 18, 2015. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai County Councilman Gary Hooser will be among three Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action members who will travel to Switzerland to discuss how the activities of Syngenta, a global Swiss agribusiness, have impacted Kauai. Garden Island.

It’s not every day that the state’s highest court makes its way to Kauai. In fact, legal experts say, it has never happened before. That will change on Thursday when the five sitting state Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments in a nearly four-year-old case that has pit the County of Kauai and Kauai Police Department against the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO), which represents unionized county police employees. Garden Island.

Molokai

The state Supreme Court denied a request by two Molokai men to have their criminal cases dismissed for charges alleging they boarded a fishing boat from Oahu and threatened those aboard last year. Maui News.

Honolulu rail to run over burials, Tulsi Gabbard to wed on Oahu, beaches eroding, Kauai pesticide dispute in court, VA delays longest on neighbor islands, Ige, Hirono address Big Island concerns, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu rail transit map, courtesy HART

Rail workers have reportedly uncovered 14 distinct sets of iwi kupuna, or ancestral human remains, in the path of Oahu's future rail transit line so far. This week island burial leaders endorsed a plan for most of those remains to stay protected where they lie. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is inviting the public to comment on a draft of its updated recreation plan. The department reviews the plan every five years to assess Hawaii's outdoor recreation needs and priorities. The review helps ensure Hawaii is eligible to receive federal grants. Associated Press.

Delays for medical appointments at Veterans Affairs facilities are shorter than the national average across much of Hawaii, but that's not true of the neighbor islands. Associated Press.

The Senate Water and Land Committee, chaired by Sen. Laura Thielen, has set a hearing for 2:45 p.m., April 17, to consider the appointment of Suzanne Case to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Unlike Gov. David Ige’s last nomination for that job, Carleton Ching, this one is expected to clear the committee with ease and go on to pass the full Senate. Civil Beat.

A state House bill that aims to create a regulated medical marijuana dispensary system throughout Hawaii made progress Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

If your state tax refund is taking longer this year, you have plenty of company. The state says processing those refunds is taking longer this year because there are new procedures to prevent tax fraud. KHON2.

Liquefied natural gas, which is scheduled to be shipped into Hawaii in bulk amounts for power generation purposes as a replacement to oil, is not economical for the state, the head of Par Petroleum, which owns Hawaii’s largest oil refinery, told Pacific Business News on Wednesday.

Oahu

Oahu has lost one-fourth of its beaches and of those remaining, about 70 percent are eroding. If state and county officials don’t start working to conserve what’s left of the sandy shoreline, most of the island’s beaches could disappear by the end of the century, say scientists. Civil Beat.

Wedding bells will ring as U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and fiance Abraham Williams tie the knot Thursday at a historic site in Kahaluu. Hawaii News Now.

Relocating Hawai’i’s largest prison is gaining support at the State Capitol.   Lawmakers are proposing land swaps and partnerships to minimize the use of taxpayer money. Hawaii Public Radio.

On Tuesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted 8-2 to advance House Bill 134, which would extend the rail tax by five years, through 2027. It would also limit those tax dollars to building the project; the money wouldn't be used for operations. Star-Advertiser.

Humanity amid the savagery of war demonstrated 70 years ago in the Battle of Okinawa is being re-emphasized by the Battleship Missouri Memorial with a new exhibit on the kamikaze pilots whose suicide runs wreaked havoc on Allied ships late in World War II. Star-Advertiser.
 
Hawaii

The Honolulu-based Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii was cleared of wrongdoing by the Hawaii County Board of Ethics on Wednesday after the executive director apologized for what she called an oversight when she and two other employees failed to register as lobbyists. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii County ethics complaint filed against Mayor Billy Kenoi and Finance Director Deanna Sako over Kenoi's use of his county-issued purchasing card will be handled by the Maui County Corporation Counsel's Office "to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest," Hawaii County Corporation Counsel Molly A. Stebbins said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

“I want to take full responsibility of the issues of the government pCard,” Kenoi started off during this 16 and a half minute press conference, shared with us courtesy Hawaii News Now. The press conference was held on April 1, 2015 on Oahu. Big Island Video News.

Gov. David Ige panned state management of the Keauhou aquifer, called for quicker action on federally funded highway projects and praised his most recent pick to head the department that oversees state lands on Wednesday. Speaking at a Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Ige also explained that he’ll use a weeklong “time-out” on the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope to carefully listen to all sides. West Hawaii Today.

U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono got a firsthand look Wednesday at two major problems facing Hawaii Island’s forests as they stood on a dirt road near Pu‘u Kali‘u in Puna. Tribune-Herald.

The principal of Honokaa High and Intermediate School is under fire from some teachers and parents and is the target of a rare-but-significant class-action grievance filed by the public school teachers' union. Hawaii News Now.

The first phase of construction for 118 Department of Hawaiian Homelands’ units in Kona will take a few months longer to finish than originally expected. The Lai Opua Village 4 Akau Subdivision project in Kealakehe should be complete by September as opposed to this summer, DHHL project manager Jeff Fujimoto said. Fujimoto said the delay is due to the discovery of lava tubes in the area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A Hawaii Senate joint committee on Wednesday approved an amended House bill that would allow Maui state hospitals to enter a business partnership with a private entity. Pacific Business News.

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce hosts Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu this Tuesday at the Maui Tropical Plantation. MauiTime.

Kauai

A trial is underway in a lawsuit by a group of Kauai residents who are suing a major seed company over genetically modified crop fields they say blow pesticide-laden dust onto their homes. KITV4.

It's all about dust — red dust. That's the focus of a dispute between some Waimea, Kauai, residents and GMO seed producer DuPont Pioneer, the residents' lawyer said Wednesday in opening statements of a civil trial. Star-Advertiser.

Libraries are never out of date, said Lani Kawahara, branch manager at the Kapaa Public Library. Garden Island.

Kauai chickens boast pre-contact DNA, Maui garbage crisis nears, Hawaii House urges audit of public hospital system, undersea cable a NextEra plan, rail review back before council, Big Island mayor uses county credit card at hostess bar, B&B crackdown on Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kauai feral chicken © 2015 All Hawaii News

Kauai chickens, pre-contact fowl have same DNA. Star-Advertiser.

A controversial measure that would have required monthly disclosure of pesticide use in Hawaii has died in the Legislature, essentially ensuring that the public won’t be able to find out details about what pesticides are being sprayed in the state and where. Civil Beat.

The House Health Committee is calling for a management and financial audit of the corporation that operates the state's network of private hospitals, citing concerns that the network that includes the Hilo and Maui Memorial medical centers is in a "financially perilous" situation. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii legislators will consider a bill that would ban sex trafficking and treat people who are forced into prostitution as victims instead of criminals. Associated Press.

State lawmakers have made an initial push to bring Brazilian jiu-jitsu into Hawaii’s schools. Tribune-Herald.

According to the Department of Accounting and General Services, there’s no policy that forbids Hawaii government employees from using personal email accounts – like Gmail or Yahoo! – for official government business. But if a private email account is used for work, those emails can become public records that may need to be saved or potentially released through public records requests. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s chief academic officer is leaving the state Department of Education next month for a job in Washington, D.C. Ronn Nozoe, Hawaii DOE deputy superintendent since 2010, has been appointed to serve as deputy assistant secretary for policy and programs in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. DOE, school officials announced Friday. Civil Beat.

Undersea cable project sparked NextEra Energy's interest in buying Hawaiian Electric Co. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council has scheduled a special session for April Fools' Day to consider measures that would signal its support for extending the rail tax, if that's what's needed to complete the island's 20-mile public transit project. Star-Advertiser.

Officials at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation like to tout transparency, but City Councilman Trevor Ozawa thinks they can do more. This week Ozawa introduced a resolution to encourage HART to televise its public meetings through Olelo Community Media or other public access channels. The meetings could also be streamed online. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Despite strict rules against using county-issued credit cards for personal purposes, and a prohibition against purchasing alcohol with them, Mayor Billy Kenoi charged $892 on his county card at a Honolulu hostess bar one December day in 2013. Kenoi said Friday that he reimbursed the county for the expense on his purchasing card, or pCard, in March 2014. West Hawaii Today.

If a set of bills in the Legislature continue on their present course, Makalei will have an advanced life support ambulance and personnel to fill a critical gap in emergency services in that fast-growing North Kona area. West Hawaii Today.

The county has put Puna traffic cameras online at punatraffic.com, which monitors traffic monitoring service for the lower Puna to Keaau area, according to a statement. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The threat of another Maui County trash crisis surfaced Friday when Department of Environmental Management officials renewed a request for $700,000 for the department's Solid Waste Division. Maui News.

Maui’s only acute care hospital is considering eliminating cardiology and a birthing unit to cope with a $28 million cut to the state hospital system’s budget for the Maui region. Associated Press.

Randall Brokaw knows the clock is ticking for a possibly century-old Chinese wall, with ties to the venerable Dr. Sun Yat-sen, before it is destroyed or crumbles away in old Wailuku town. Maui News.

While the state Department of Defense is attempting to achieve "shrine status" with its ambitious expansion and improvements to the Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao, the existing cemetery was showing signs of wear and tear last week. Maui News.

Maui residents want lower energy bills, greater regulation of electric utilities and transparency and open communication with the public, according to a recent study by the Maui Economic Development Board. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County has been telling owners of illegal short-term rentals to cease operations. The county sent notices to 320 people operating vacation rental, bed and breakfast and homestay businesses without proper permits. Associated Press.

For nearly 23 years, Alexis Boilini and Michael Levy have welcomed people from all over the world into their home. Garden Island.

Wind turbines planned in ocean off Oahu, Hawaii Tourism Authority wants more money, green sea turtle to remain protected, lead slows bridge repair, Kaho‘olawe records to be preserved, more grads college-bound, Honolulu racetrack bill revs up, state lags in budget transparency, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii green sea turtle, honu © 2015 All Hawaii News

The feds have denied a petition to take Hawaii green sea turtles off the list of threatened species. The honu news came Friday from the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Civil Beat.

The threatened green sea turtles around the Hawaiian Islands will be managed separately from other populations under a plan floated Friday by federal agencies. But the status of Hawaii’s turtles as threatened under the Endangered Species Act won’t change under the plan, despite a petition for delisting by an organization of Hawaii civic clubs. West Hawaii Today.

© 2015 All Hawaii News

Hawaii’s green sea turtles should continue to be classified as threatened because its population is small and nearly all of them nest at the same low-lying atoll, federal wildlife agencies said Friday. Associated Press.

Federal wildlife officials propose keeping Hawaii's green sea turtles' threatened status under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it would continue to be illegal to kill or hunt them. Maui News.

More than 300 people are expected to attend a conference featuring more than 25 sessions and professional development training courses on rising sea levels and other natural hazards. The theme is "The Rising Pacific: Currents of Change and Solutions for Resilience." Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority, the agency tasked with marketing Hawaii to the nation and the world, says it needs more money to cover its expenses. The HTA is asking state lawmakers to allow it to increase its administrative spending by as much as 30 percent a year. Star-Advertiser.

Even as legislators consider more stringent regulations, the state Department of Agriculture hasn’t complied with a law passed in 2013 that requires it to post sales records for restricted-use pesticides on its website. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers hope that a proposed bill would encourage more of Hawaii’s youth to become farmers. House Bill 853 passed through the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Education and Judiciary and Labor during a hearing Friday, and would teach students and teachers how to produce some of their own food. Civil Beat.

Hawaii state senators are taking up a proposal to develop a system of medical marijuana dispensaries, which would give patients legal access to the drug nearly 15 years after it became legal in Hawaii. Associated Press.

Hawaii's Department of Budget and Finance last year launched a new website designed to provide a one-stop source for state spending and financial information, but the state still earned only a grade of "C" on the latest "transparency scorecard." Hawaii trails 42 other states in the annual report on how well states provide spending data online, conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers plan to tackle the state's troubled health exchange, public-housing issues and a slew of resolutions this week at the Legislature. Most of the action will be in committee rooms as lawmakers take up bills passed by the other chamber. Associated Press.

Opinion: One of the tax increase bills that is still afloat at our Legislature concerns the environmental response, energy, and food security tax, which we refer to as the barrel tax. This tax started off as the environmental response tax, imposed at 5 cents a barrel of imported petroleum product as a way to create a fund for environmental cleanup in case of an oil spill in Hawaiian waters. It was hoisted to its present rate of $1.05 in 2009, and the difference was used not only to shore up our general fund, but also to feed various special funds that pay for environmental conservation programs, energy and food security, and related activities. Civil Beat.

If HCR 90 passes through the House Committees on Education and Finance, it would ask the governor, Board of Education, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association to establish a minimum median teacher salary that would be adjustable to Hawaii’s cost of living. Civil Beat.

The state Ethics Commission will make public the detailed financial disclosure forms of members of 15 boards and commissions in June rather than next year. The powerful entities include the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Public Utilities Commission. A law that took effect in July makes those disclosure forms public, but the details could have remained confidential until 2016 because only short forms are required in odd-numbered years. Star-Advertiser.

After several years of stagnancy, the number of Hawaii public school graduates enrolling in college after high school has climbed amid efforts by the Department of Education to better prepare students for college and careers. Star-Advertiser.

Many Hawaii families have fallen into a cycle of debt precipitated by deceptively easy payday loans. The industry was legalized in 1999 when the Legislature passed a law exempting it from the state’s usury law, which caps the interest rate for loans at no more than 24 percent each year. Civil Beat.

Oahu

A Danish developer is planning to develop a major offshore wind energy project, which would include more than 100 turbines, in federal waters in Hawaii off Oahu’s northwest and southern coasts, according to a published report. Pacific Business News.

Oahu car-racing enthusiasts have picked up some traction on a drive to finance a new motor sports raceway on the island after the demise of two track facilities in the past eight years. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Housing First initiative to provide shelter and related social services to the chronically homeless has achieved mixed results nine months after the Honolulu City Council dedicated $35 million toward the effort. Star-Advertiser.

On Friday, landowners, fed up with all the foot traffic for “Dead Man’s Catwalk,” asked various hiking websites to take down posts promoting the popular East Oahu trail and threatened further action if nothing was done. KHON2.

Martin Nesbitt, a Chicago businessman and President Barack Obama’s close friend, has been confirmed as the buyer of Hawaii beachfront estate known as the home of Tom Selleck’s 1980s television character “Magnum P.I.” Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Time to fix those leaky faucets. The less water you use, the more you’ll save, under a five-year rate plan to be considered Tuesday by the Hawaii County Water Board. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Island Portuguese Chamber of Commerce is dusting off old plans to construct a cultural and education center in downtown Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

The discovery of lead in the soil below Umauma bridge near Hakalau likely will delay completion of the span’s ongoing $30.8 million rehabilitation project, state officials say. The lead, left from paint that fell into the gulch during past maintenance work, was found where new bridge footings need to be installed. Tribune-Herald.

A new courthouse and hospital for Kona are among more than $200 million in Big Island projects in the $2.2 billion two-year capital improvement budget passed Wednesday by the state House. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Police Department Assistant Chief Henry Tavares said a spike in property crime in downtown Hilo is related to the city’s ongoing homeless problem. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

This Saturday, the 2015 Maui County Republican Party Convention will take place at Pu’u Kukui Elementary School. Registered Republican delegates are welcome to hear a featured guest speaker, conduct party business and elect new Executive Committee officers. MauiTime.

The recent agreement restoring water to four Central Maui streams has some parties in an East Maui stream restoration case optimistic that a "just ruling" will come to them as well. Maui News.

After the worst coral bleaching event ever recorded in Hawaii last fall, environmental groups are rallying to bring more community awareness to help protect the reefs. Maui News.

The 12-acre Maui Arts & Cultural Center opened its gates nearly 21 years ago. Today, it can accommodate up to 270,000 visitors a year, spans 22 acres, and generates $4.35 million annually, on average, in revenue to community businesses. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

Kauai had the fewest applications for firearms of all state counties in 2014. But the number of applications on the Garden Isle increased for the fourth straight year — although county officials aren’t attributing that increase to a gun craze, but rather something that accompanies an uptick in population. Garden Island.

Kahoolawe

This year hundreds of thousands of historic documents relating to Kaho‘olawe will be published in an online database. Hawaii Public Radio.

Legislature kills homeless bill of rights; Ching confirmation, House budget votes today; school lunch increase coming; Supreme Court rules travel sites must pay state taxes; UH athletics director short-listed; Ige visits Big Island; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Homeless in Hawaii © 2015 All Hawaii News

The House Committee on Human Services deferred a bill on Tuesday that would create a “Houseless Bill of Rights,” designed to ensure homeless would be protected from discrimination and afforded certain rights, such as access to restrooms, public spaces, the ability to vote and to sleep in a legally parked car. Civil Beat.

After nearly two months of intense scrutiny and vocal opposition to his nomination, Carleton Ching — and the general public — will learn Wednesday whether he's to lead the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii state Senate has scheduled a vote on Gov. David Ige's nominee to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Senate will take up the nomination of Carleton Ching on Wednesday. Associated Press.

House to vote on state budget Wednesday. House version of governor’s budget gives UH control of own spending. KITV4.

Student lunch prices are expected to go up by 25 cents in the fall to $2.75 for high-schoolers and to $2.50 for elementary and intermediate students. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii educators are embracing with varying degrees of enthusiasm the new standardized tests that debuted in schools this month. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmakers raised concerns Tuesday about a new $2 million State Capitol fire alarm system that has suffered false alarms since it went into service in January, replacing an old system that was plagued with false alarms. Hawaii News Now.

The Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would eliminate any requirement for an individual making a domestic violence claim against a police officer to do so through a sworn, written complaint. Civil Beat.

Editorial: Police Reform: High Hopes Dim as Session Unfolds. A month ago, prospects for making key changes in policing seemed bright. Only two significant bills are still breathing, and even their fates are far from certain. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that nine online travel companies, including Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity, must pay the state tens of millions of dollars in back taxes for selling Hawaii hotel rooms over the Internet. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled today that nine online travel companies, including Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity, owe up to tens of millions of dollars in back taxes to the state for selling Hawaii hotel rooms over the Internet, the state Department of the Attorney General announced. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Supreme Court decided Tuesday that nine popular online travel companies will pay the state a portion of $247 million in general excise taxes assessed since 2000. Star-Advertiser.

Expedia Inc., Orbitz LLC and several other online travel companies owe the state of Hawaii up to tens of millions of dollars in back taxes as a result of a state Supreme Court ruling, Hawaii's attorney general said Tuesday. Associated Press.

Oahu

The FBI says the Honolulu police officers under investigation for an alleged assault at an illegal gambling house lied in their reports about the incident, according to federal court records. Star-Advertiser.

Police officers could end up donning body cameras under a proposal in Hawaii state Legislature that would enable the Honolulu Police Department to begin a pilot program. Associated Press.

University of Hawaii at Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman plans to select the campus' new athletics director by the end of the month. The university said Tuesday a search committee has officially submitted its recommendations for the new athletics director to Bley-Vroman. Associated Press.

Two local candidates with experience working with the finances of sports, David Matlin and Keith Ame­miya, have emerged as the favorites to become the next University of Hawaii athletic director. Star-Advertiser.

Sources: Committee submits one name for UH athletics director, chancellor considers another. KHON2.

More than half of the state’s residents live in Honolulu, O’ahu’s urban core.  State lawmakers are attempting to address the needs of a growing population living in condominiums. Hawaii Public Radio.

According to a report by the Honolulu Liquor Commission, more than $1 billion of booze was sold on Oahu in fiscal year 2014. KITV4.

Sale of ‘Magnum P.I.’ home may be tied to President Obama. KHON2.

Hawaii families with low incomes recently began to benefit from the legacy of Hansen's disease patients and their friends who boldly but unsuccessfully tried to save their sanctuary in Pearl City more than 30 years ago. The newest affordable apartment building on the site of Hale Mohalu was dedicated in a ceremony Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, formerly state Civil Defense, is asking for the public to keep an eye out for vandals at outdoor siren warning system sites.  A siren sounded at Kahe Point early Wednesday morning was due to vandalism. Star-Advertiser.

North Shore heiau center of desecration allegation. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

A plan to expand county enterprise zones into conservation areas worries County Council members, who on Tuesday postponed a vote on continuing the zones, even though several have already expired.West Hawaii Today.

Gov. David Ige says he is excited about what the future has in store for the Big Island. On Tuesday, his third visit to Hawaii Island in 2015, Ige toured the Pacific Biodiesel facility in Keaau and attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facility at Hilo International Airport. Tribune-Herald.

A relocated harbor office and new paved areas at Kawaihae Harbor are making for safer and smoother movements of cargo at Pier 2. But what to do about a small boat harbor exposed to winter storm damage remains unclear. Gov. David Ige, District 4 state Sen. Lorraine Inouye and Hawaii Department of Transportation officials were among the dignitaries on hand Tuesday to dedicate the $7 million Pier 2 project. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation broke ground Tuesday on a new, $18.8 million Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facility, or ARFF, at Hilo International Airport. Tribune-Herald.

As the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy prepares to begin construction of its new permanent building on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus, one Big Island legislator is asking whether the school should be here at all. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The Maui County Land Use Committee will review the proposed Downtown Kīhei Project on Wednesday, March 18, at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber. Maui Now.

Kauai

The State Department of Agriculture released a report finding pesticide levels near Waimea Canyon Middle School to be safe, but pesticide-regulatory advocates aren't buying it.  Hawaii Independent.

Hawaii gets an A in education; new tests begin today; Legislature mulls rail tax, medical marijuana dispensaries, hospitals; OHA mum on geothermal money trail; Maui sugar cane burning continues; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii classroom, courtesy state Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education is giving Hawaii a flawless progress report on reforms that replaced provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The report, obtained by The Associated Press, shows that Hawaii received the highest mark of “meeting expectations” for all categories of monitoring. Only a handful of states achieved such high scores, the department said.

Starting tomorrow, schools across the state will begin a new wave of standardized tests. They're called the Smarter Balanced Assessments and they're part of the national Common Core standards approach. Hawaii Public Radio.

Crucial decisions on medical marijuana dispensaries, the future of Hawaii's public hospitals and a tax to fund Honolulu's financially struggling rail project hang in the balance as the Hawaii Legislature approaches a major deadline. All bills must pass out of their chamber of origin this week, and those that don't make the deadline will die. Associated Press.

Former Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie says that he never expected to be an elected official, and that if he hadn't run for the state's top public office, he was going to retire after his decades-long run as a U.S. congressman, he told Pacific Business News this week in an exclusive interview.

The state’s chief elections officer would have to undergo a performance evaluation after each general election under a plan approved by the state Senate. Associated Press.

Last month, in what has become an annual discussion point, state senators introduced a bill that would make it illegal, starting Jan. 1, for GMO food to be sold in the state unless it bears a label that reads, “This product contains a genetically engineered material, or was produced with a genetically engineered material.” Garden Island.

The Hawaii House voted Friday to keep its longest-serving member after a first-of-its-kind panel was convened to examine his residency and recommended that he stay. The chamber’s voice-vote decision regarding Rep. Calvin Say stemmed from a challenge over whether the Democrat lives in the district he represents. Associated Press.

Opinion: The “Lobbyist on Lanai” left a community torn apart by Big Wind. Carleton Ching's involvement with the proposed "Big Wind" project on Lanai flies in the face of the governor's empty statement that Ching "brings communities together." Hawaii Independent.

Opinion: Buffer Zones: Protecting Paradise From Restricted Use Pesticides. This is not an agricultural issue, it is a health issue. Hawaii needs to put in place pesticide buffer zones and other protective measures. Civil Beat.

NOAA aims to prevent capture of whale sharks. New regulations prohibit catching the gentle giants in specialized fishing nets. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The biggest Army exercise in Hawaii in over a decade just wrapped up, with about 5,000 soldiers playing both friend and foe as the fictional nation of Ari battled another government and Islamic extremists across a made-up Asia-Pacific archipelago. Star-Advertiser.

Saving Waikiki Beach — At Least for Now. The city hopes to raise $600,000 annually from local businesses to combat chronic erosion, but some are balking at the proposal. Would the efforts merely stave off the inevitable? Civil Beat.

The Institute for Human Services, with support from the state’s visitor industry, has started running a shuttle between Waikiki and its Iwilei shelter to help the tourist district’s unsheltered homeless residents get on the fast track to housing. Star-Advertiser.

Five companies submitted bids this week to build the three rail stations in the Farrington Highway Station Group, which consists of the West Loch Station, the Waipahu Transit Center Station and the station at Leeward Community College. Hawaii Independent.

The union that represents HandiVan drivers believes disgruntled customers should be able to call the mayor, city manager or Transportation Service Department with their complaints.The management believes otherwise. Hawaii News Now.

A former school accounting clerk arrested last month for theft and money laundering allegedly used a Halau Lokahi Charter School bank card to rack up more than $5,200 worth of Amazon.com purchases — including several dozen rolls of design-printed duct tape — that were shipped to her Aiea home, according to court records obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Less than two weeks after Hawaii Electric Light Co. selected Ormat Technologies to build the Big Island’s next geothermal power plant, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is declining to answer questions regarding its investment in a company that submitted a competing bid, claiming that information is confidential. Tribune-Herald.

Thanks to Hilo resident Dan Marks, the United States may be on its way to a Constitutional Convention. The states have been asking to convene one for years. And as Marks found out, all he had to do was ask the right person to start counting. Big Island Video News.

Two federal assistance programs are holding up money for Native Hawaiian housing on parts of Hawaii Island because of unexploded World War II bombs and other munitions that have not been cleaned up. Associated Press.

A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. Monday for the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea summits, the National Weather Service reports. Up to 1 inch of new snow is expected to fall above 12,500 feet in elevation, forecasters said. The temperature will be in the lower 20s and visibility could be reduced to less than one-half mile at times. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A dispute over the height of a Maalaea landfill has led to a warning letter from Maui County, the shutdown of the facility and a request for a ruling Tuesday from the Maui Planning Commission. Maui News.

Maui County Council members will take up Monday morning a bill that aims to provide "uniformity and parity" in agricultural real property tax assessments, according to an announcement from Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Riki Hokama. Maui News.

Sugar cane smoke will soon rise again over Maui as the state Department of Health continues its annual practice of approving a permit to burn fields without holding a public hearing, despite persistent requests of opponents who worry the widespread smoke endangers the health of island residents. Civil Beat.

A community meeting to address planned improvements to the Hāna Bay septic system is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Maui Now.

A Maui County Council committee will review a proposed resolution urging the state Board on Geographic Names to change the name of Iao Stream to Wailuku River. Maui News.

Kauai

A group of four Kauai County officials charged with trimming costs say they have identified close to $400,000 in salary and benefit savings for next year’s budget. Garden Island.

As the draft conservation plan and environmental assessment nears the end of its public comment period, officials at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge are already talking about changes they want to see. Garden Island.

Honolulu airport weak link in pregnant Chinese migration; medical marijuana dispensaries, pesticide disclosure, Maui hospital privatization bills advance; prison guard sick days out of control; rail costs skyrocket; Maui prosecutor retained, geothermal lawsuit continues, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu International Airport © 2015 All Hawaii News

Some pregnant Chinese nationals bound for "birthing houses" in Los Angeles to deliver their babies as U.S. citizens were instructed to enter America through Honolulu Airport, where custom inspectors were considered to be more lax, according to federal affidavits unsealed Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

With Clayton Hee Gone, Campaign Finance Reform Is Moving Forward. Among other measures, Hawaii lawmakers are advancing bills to address the influence of super PACs and other outside money. Civil Beat.

A bill that would create a statewide medical marijuana dispensary in Hawaii is moving on to the full House of Representatives. The state Department of Health estimates at least 13,000 people qualify for medical marijuana in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

On Tuesday, the full Senate passed a bill that would require agricultural pesticide users to disclose their usage of the chemical to neighbors sharing fence lines with their fields. KITV4.

Tokuda Shoots Down Pesticide Buffer Zones Bill Without a Hearing. Despite pressure from its supporters, the Hawaii senator refuses to call a hearing for a bill to require buffer zones around schools. Civil Beat.

Nearly half of the corrections officers at four prisons across the state called in sick on Super Bowl Sunday this year, a problem a key lawmaker called “disturbing,” prompting him to call for prison sick leave audit. All told, 251 guards at eight prisons called in sick on the day when families and friends gathered at parties statewide to watch the final football game of the pro season. Hawaii News Now.

There are two new Republicans in the State House of Representatives this session. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Public Utilities Commission is giving a seat at the table to all 28 interested parties who applied to be part of the agency's decision on whether to approve the sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Inc. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has granted access to all of the entities that seek have a say in the acquisition application of NextEra Energy Inc. and Hawaiian Electric Co., which is currently being reviewed by the state agency. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has appointed nine new members to his administration who will serve on his communications team and in the departments of Health and Public Safety. The appointments, announced Tuesday, are not subject to Senate approval. Civil Beat.

Governor David Ige today announced appointments to his administration in the departments of Health, Public Safety and Transportation, as well as to his communication team. None of the appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. Hawaii Independent.

Former TV anchorwomen Jodi Leong and Yasmin Dar have been appointed to Gov. David Ige's communications team and will help craft the way the governor's messages get out to Hawaii residents. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Each of the new bids opened Tuesday to build three West Oahu rail stations came in above estimates, indicating that transit officials have yet to pin down the true picture pertaining to how much the island's elevated rail system will cost. Star-Advertiser.

Officials at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation had known for months the city’s rail project was headed for serious financial trouble but didn’t fully share that knowledge with the public until last December.Civil Beat.

Turtle Bay Resort has settled a lawsuit with Keep the North Shore Country, bringing the resort one step closer to completing its $48.5 million conservation easement. The Senate money committee is taking up a bill Wednesday that would extend funding for a conservation easement that's taking longer than expected to complete. Civil Beat.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's administration is now exploring the possibility of holding onto some of the city's affordable-housing projects and converting some units into permanent shelter for the homeless and those in low-income brackets. Star-Advertiser.

The Army is hosting a meeting in Waianae this week on a study related to Makua Military Reservation. The study assesses whether military training at Makua poses a health risk to those who eat limu or seaweed, sea cucumber and octopus caught in the ocean nearby. Associated Press.

Manoa neighborhood board to hear testimony about renovating Paradise Park. KHON2.

Hawaii

The dispute about nighttime well drilling at Puna Geothermal Venture remains headed toward litigation after a compromise proposed by Hawaii County Council member Margaret Wille failed to gain support from either side of the issue. Tribune-Herald.

VIDEO: Puna Pono Alliance Opposes Geothermal Mediation Measure. Big Island Video News.

Dozens of people came out Tuesday to support two nonbinding resolutions asking the county administration to seek long-term contracts to divert materials from the county’s two landfills. West Hawaii Today.

Gov. David Ige extended the emergency proclamation for the lava flow Monday until the end of the year. The proclamation initially was issued Sept. 5. The move grants the governor emergency powers to respond to the lava flow until Dec. 31. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County Council votes to approve Prosecutor J.D. Kim after bizarre hearing. MauiTime.

The state hospital system has been losing tens of millions of taxpayer dollars each year, and frustrated state lawmakers Tuesday moved a step closer to authorizing a partnership between the state-owned Maui Memorial, Kula and Lanai Community hospitals and a private health care provider to try to finally curb those losses. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would allow the Maui region of the Hawaii state hospitals to enter a private partnership passed the Hawaii House of Representatives Tuesday morning and may continue to the Senate chamber after a final floor vote. Pacific Business News.

Former Maui County mayoral candidate Beau Hawkes, who was seen being Tasered as he ran from a police officer in a video that went viral, was sentenced Monday to a 30-day jail term for disregarding the officer's orders and driving away from a traffic stop last year. Maui News.

Members of the Sugar Cove Association of Apartment Owners have submitted plans to the state to protect their 4-acre Spreckelsville oceanfront property from erosion on a nearly 520-foot shoreline. Maui News.

Low sugar prices and rainy conditions led Alexander & Baldwin's agribusiness sector, which is predominately Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui, to suffer an $11.8 million operating loss in 2014, the company reported in its full-year and fourth-quarter earnings report released Monday. Maui News.

Kauai

A retired Kauai resident has pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations to pay for attorney fees and hire experts in Friends of Mahaulepu’s ongoing effort to stop a proposed dairy on Kauai’s south side. Garden Island.

Hawaii Sunshine Law under attack, Kauai seed company lays off workers, pesticide disclosure bill advances, Omidyar slips in billionaire rankings, Oahu debates farms versus housing, schatz lawsuit dismissed, more government and political news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Legislature opening day 2015, courtesy Robert Harris

There are six new members serving their first term in the State House of Representatives.  They are referred to as the “Freshman Class.” Hawaii Public Radio.

Elected officials from Maui County are urging the Legislature to relax the state's open-meetings law in a way that would allow several County Council members to attend community or private meetings and discuss Council business during those meetings. Star-Advertiser.

The longstanding debate on pesticide disclosure is playing out in the state Legislature as lawmakers consider a measure that seeks to make current, voluntary reporting guidelines mandatory. Garden Island.

Pierre Omidyar, the eBay founder who lives in Honolulu, saw his ranking on Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest people slip this year, while Larry Ellison, the billionaire executive chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle Corp. who owns the island of Lanai in Hawaii, held on to his No. 5 spot. Pacific Business News.

A legal challenge to Brian Schatz’s 2012 appointment to the U.S. Senate has been dismissed. Judge Derrick Watson of the District of Hawaii ruled Feb. 23 that Hamamoto v. Abercrombie is moot, as the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their case. Civil Beat.

Hawaii is seven months into the state’s food safety rating program and nearly half the restaurants on Oahu have been inspected. But a website to notify the public which restaurants have passed inspection is still in the works. KHON2.

The albizia was first brought to Hawaii for reforestation and it has now become the enemy. This year, it takes one of the top 10 spots on the state's worst invasive species list. KITV4.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii's profits jumped in the fourth quarter of 2014 to $1.4 million, compared to $200,000 in the same quarter the year before, as it gained more members. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Most of a 6.5 percent increase in Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's operating budget will be earmarked for no-frills, essential, "fiscal stability" initiatives like catching up on mandatory contributions for the government employees health fund, paying off more debt and shoring up the rainy day fund. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell is emphasizing fiscal austerity in his 2016 fiscal year budget, which includes reductions in capital spending and no new taxes or fees. Civil Beat.

Although the city’s proposed operating budget of $2.28 billion for fiscal year 2016 increases spending by 6.5 percent, Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s proposal doesn’t contain any new revenue enhancers. KITV4.

Mayor Caldwell is on the mainland so managing director Roy Amemiya went over the budget highlights. He says the greatest challenge the city faces is $1.7 billion in unfunded liabilities for retiree health benefits. The budget earmarks $50 million dollars for that. KHON2.

2015 State of the City Address. Transcript of Mayor Caldwell's third state of the city address. Hawaii Independent.

Honolulu officials are poised to approve a long-planned development that would replace nearly 1,300 acres of prime farmland in West Oahu. No one really knows if this is a problem for a state that ships in at least 85 percent of its food from the mainland, because no one really knows how much usable farmland is left. The most recent city study was conducted by a consultant who has also worked for the project developer. Civil Beat.

Residents, labor union members and farmers packed a room at Kapolei Hale Monday night and debated whether Hoo­pili, a proposed 1,554-acre development plan by D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, should be built on prime agricultural land between Ewa and Kapolei. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council Zoning and Planning Committee intends to consider a planning document for the North Shore on Thursday that includes a highly debated proposal to allow a new residential community in Malaekahana. Civil Beat.

City Council to decide the fate of Malaekahana. Zoning committee chair Anderson will introduce amendments that would kill most of the controversial proposed “Envision Laie” development on the rural northeast coast of Oahu. Hawaii Independent.

Opinion: Stop the Malaekahana Development. The City Council should put the brakes on a proposal to expand urban boundaries and build another North Shore town. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa announced Monday that it will officially ban smoking on campus, effective July 1, becoming the second smoke-free campus in the state after Kapiolani Community College. Star-Advertiser.

A pension fund for workers in Australia has become part-owner of Hawaii's largest shopping center. AustralianSuper bought a 25 percent interest in Ala Moana Center from Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. for $907 million Friday. Star-Advertiser.

President Barack Obama has officially renamed the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Waikiki as the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Police Department is changing one way they identify suspects in cases. Following a nationwide trend, HPD is changing the photo lineup policy.  It's an effort to prevent falsely identifying suspects. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

The same names keep recirculating on county boards and commissions, due in part to a shortage of volunteers willing to step up. And even after drawing upon all the familiar faces, Mayor Billy Kenoi still has 25 to 30 openings to fill. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources approved Friday a pair of lease extensions for Uncle Billy’s Hilo Hotel and the Country Club condominiums. Tribune-Herald.

A 485-acre tract of North Kohala land on the road to Pololu Valley is set to be sold. The stretch of pasture and forest land is in a north Texas bankruptcy court, where a hearing on a possible sale and offer of $2.87 million is set to be considered by a judge March 18. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The State Commission on Water Resource Management begins a contested case hearing today on a petition to amend interim instream water standards for 27 streams in East Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

A Kauai seed company let 23 employees go on Monday. Syngenta AG, a global Swiss agrochemical company with a research center in Kekaha, laid off workers at all levels. Garden Island.