Hawaii Capitol rallies include preschoolers, teachers; Legislature advances gun control, marijuana bills; Kamehameha Schools teacher fired for nude student photos, 7th anniversary of Kauai dam disaster, Honolulu mayor seeks fuel tax hike, atrazine targeted, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii preschoolers (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

Hundreds of children, parents and education advocates descended on Hawaii’s Capitol Thursday to spur lawmakers to vote for Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s preschool initiative. Associated Press.

Thousands of Hawaii public school teachers rallied and chanted around the state Capitol on Thursday to protest the lack of a new labor contract. Star-Advertiser.

The president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association announced to teachers late Thursday that the union and the state have received approval from the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to go to mediation. Hawaii News Now.

The state is confident it has found a way to fill a void and fund much-needed after-school programs for intermediate and middle schools through community involvement and private donations, Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

The state has a new plan to fill that important gap in intermediate students' days—they're calling it the Hawai'i Intermediate/Middle School Challenge. Hawaii News Now.

A bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana is making its way through the Hawaii House of Representatives. Associated Press.

The Hawaii House Committee on Public Safety is moving forward a bill to require background checks for people who bring in guns from outside the state. Associated Press.

FACT CHECK — Solomon: Hawaii 'On The Verge Of Bankruptcy' Half-True. Civil Beat.

Hawaii is being hit by two amendments U.S. Senate Republicans are trying to attach to a temporary spending bill needed to prevent a government shutdown. Civil Beat.

Scheduled nonstop air seats to Hawaii are expected to jump 11.8 percent through the next three months from the year-earlier period as the tourism industry takes aim at a second straight record year for visitor arrivals. Star-Advertiser.

A state analysis of new U.S. Census data shows Hawaii’s population grew by 1 percent per year in the two years spanning mid-2010 through mid-2012, with growth distributed relatively evenly throughout the islands. Associated Press.

Hawaii’s population grew 1 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, driven primarily by a relatively high birth rate and people moving from foreign countries, the state said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s population reached 1.39 million as of July 2012, up 2.4 percent from the 1.36 million residents in April 2010, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Pacific Business News.

A new health insurer is poised to do business in Hawaii this year, boosting competition in the market dominated by Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

State roundup for March 15. Associated Press.

Oahu

With opposition mounting against his proposal to increase the city's fuel tax by 5 cents a gallon, Mayor Kirk Caldwell is urging City Council members to keep an open mind to the idea. Star-Advertiser.

A hearing on House Bill 276, which calls for issuing about $10 million in bonds to build what is being called the Senior Residence at Piikoi, was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Pacific Business News.

The Honolulu City Council will convene a special meeting this afternoon (Friday,1:30pm) to discuss homeless housing and services on O’ahu in an effort to look at solutions for this growing problem. Hawaii Public Radio.

State eyes encroachment at Kahala Resort. Complaints prompt closer look at beach use. KITV4.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is walking back from a threat last summer to ban offshore parties in Waikiki known as floatopias or flotillas. KITV4.

EXCLUSIVE: Nude student images alleged in fired Kamehameha Schools teacher investigation. KHON2.

Hawaii

Hawaii County Water Supply officials say levels of atrazine in island wells are far below safe thresholds, even as 19 members of the state House on Thursday called for a task force to investigate the effects of the herbicide on human health. West Hawaii Today.

The story of Haumea, as told by astronomer Mike Brown, is a detective tale in space. West Hawaii Today.

Puna Geothermal Venture was back to normal operations Wednesday night after it was shut down that afternoon, causing a plume of steam to be released into the air. Tribune-Herald.

The population of the Big Island is currently growing at a rate of about 1% per year or five new residents per day, according to estimates released recently by the US Census Bureau. Big Island Now.

Maui
Citing questions and concerns by the public and council members, the Maui County Council's Water Resources Committee chairman called for a night meeting to allow for more public input on a bill that would give the water director, with the consent of the mayor, the power to impose higher rates during water shortages. Maui News.

The state House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve $65 million in funding to begin construction of a new Kihei high school. Maui News.

Ask the Mayor: 7 a.m. Leaf Blowing; Feral Chickens, DMVL. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai Dam Breach Tragedy Still Not Resolved 7 Years After 7 People Were Killed. Hawaii Reporter.

Candidates for the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors gathered in front of an audience of about a dozen people Wednesday evening at the Waimea Neighborhood Center during the final panel discussion leading up to the March 23 vote. Garden Island.

The Kaua‘i Humane Society has a new executive director, and one who has a lifetime of working with animals all around the country — and says she wouldn’t want to do anything else. Garden Island.

Hawaii Supreme Court mulls laptops, cellphones in state courtrooms, Legislature advances Steven Tyler paparazzi, minimum wage, marijuana decriminalization, emergency contraception, preschool bills, global warming seen on Mauna Loa, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Supreme Court (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

The Hawaii Supreme Court is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would allow the public, members of the media and lawyers to use laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices in state courtrooms. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii state House and Senate have approved separate proposals to raise the state minimum wage. Associated Press.

The state House and Senate on Tuesday endorsed a new state-funded preschool initiative, a loan program that may help consumers afford solar-energy devices, an increase of the minimum wage and an unemployment insurance tax break for businesses. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers moved on a host of good government measures Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii state Senate passed the so-called Steven Tyler Act Tuesday, a bill that seeks to protect celebrities from overeager paparazzi by creating a civil violation if people take unwanted photos or videos of others in their private moments. Associated Press.

The Hawaii State Senate on Tuesday, March 5, passed the Steven Tyler Act, legislation that Tyler and other celebrities said will protect them from overzealous journalists and paparazzi. Hawaii Reporter.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/steven-tyler-act-passes-full-hawaii-senate/123

A bill that would decriminalize the possession of under one ounce of marijuana has been approved by the state Senate and moved to the House. Big Island Now.

The Hawaii state Senate has voted for a bill that would require hospital emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Associated Press.

The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that seeks to raise state revenue by developing public school lands. Associated Press.

Hawaii is still trying to get up to speed on spending its $75 million Race to the Top grant. As of Feb. 1, school officials say, the state has spent about $27 million — or 36 percent of the award — on sweeping reforms it pledged to achieve by next year. Star-Advertiser.

The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the air jumped dramatically in 2012, making it very unlikely that global warming can be limited to another 2 degrees as many global leaders have hoped, new measurements from Mauna Loa in Hawaii show. Associated Press.

The state is promoting this week as "Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Week" to bring attention to a problem that costs residents and businesses millions of dollars each year. Star-Advertiser.

A Civil Beat review of state records and interviews with local regulators shows that that Hawaii’s rivers, streams and coastal waters are not being tested for the herbicide Atrazine even though the EPA established water safety levels a decade ago and last year required states to regulate pesticides under the Clean Water Act.

As policy makers in Washington continue to struggle with budget issues, Hawaii residents are still wondering what the precise impacts will be on the state. One important area of federal spending for Hawaii: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—or NOAA. As HPR’s Bill Dorman reports, the specific cuts to Hawaii’s NOAA operations are still not clear. Hawaii Public Radio.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono introduced bills Tuesday that would reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families, many of whom live in the Philippines. Star-Advertiser.

After years of waiting, Hawaii's Filipino World War II veterans like 89-year-old Artemio Caleda are again raising their hopes for a change in immigration law that would make it easier to bring their relatives to be near them in their old age. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s state Insurance Division is expanding the kinds of rate comparisons state residents can find online. West Hawaii Today.

State 3/6. Associated Press.

Oahu

The city ramped up pressure on supporters of the (de)Occupy Honolulu movement Tuesday afternoon, tagging 15 of their tents, chairs, tables, pallets, signs and other items placed on the sidewalk on the makai side of Thomas Square. Star-Advertiser.

The deployment of a Navy ship out of Pearl Harbor was put on hold last week because of budget uncertainties that threaten to undermine the "rebalance" of U.S. forces to the Pacific, Adm. Samuel Locklear III, head of U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Billionaire's arrest could affect Hawaii property. Hawaii News Now.

Gaudy. Cheap. Offensive. Dozens of statues that Japanese real estate tycoon Genshiro Kawamoto erected on four of his sprawling estates along Kahala Avenue have been described by observers in these terms. Star-Advertiser.

Genshiro Kawamoto has been called many things — eccentric, mysterious, a nuisance. You can add one more to the list: suspected criminal. Civil Beat.

We investigated Genshiro Kawamoto's tax bills here in the islands and found he's by and large a model taxpayer. KHON2.

Turtle Bay Resort is willing to negotiate with the state to protect land around the North Shore landmark from development. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Independent spoke with entrepreneur and philanthropist Henk Rogers to discuss his new project: accelerating the creation of a new cadre of Hawaii tech companies via his new organization, Blue Startups. The accelerator provides mentorship and seed funding for teams over a three-month process, at the end of which is a business that can seek greater funding.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said Tuesday that it has improved its online Oahu map to help customers and contractors plan new solar photovoltaic systems. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Marriott International has notified Hawaii labor officials that the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa is being sold and the hotel's 315 employees could lose their jobs in early May if the new owner does not retain Marriott as the property's manager and operator. Pacific Business News.

The capital improvement budget submitted late last week by Mayor Billy Kenoi is 37 percent higher than last year’s. But don’t expect all those projects to be started right away. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County Fire Department’s request to add an ambulance at Makalei Fire Station was denied this year because of the state’s fiscal situation, Fire Chief Darren Rosario said. West Hawaii Today.

The state Senate, following the House’s lead, adopted a resolution renaming Saddle Road connecting East and West Hawaii the Daniel K. Inouye Legacy Highway after the late U.S. senator. Tribune-Herald.

Michael Madoff was in Honolulu on Tuesday to hear his lawyers plead with a federal judge to let his lawsuit involving the death of his son be resolved in Hawaii. A large wave washed the New York teenager into the ocean at the Kaawa­loa lighthouse near Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii island July 4. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Maui Film Studios LLC began leasing the new warehouse in Central Maui on Friday. In the coming months, Maui Film Studios will be outfitting the warehouse as a 21,000-square-foot soundstage, "the largest film studio in Hawaii," said Socrates Buenger, owner and chief executive officer of the company, on Monday. Maui News.

The Maui County Council on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would officially subject properties used for converting wind to usable energy to real property taxes. Maui News.

A special grass that curbs erosion and absorbs substances such as lead and arsenic from the soil and water through its roots is part of a Maui County pilot project that begins today. Maui News.

Kauai

Former state Rep. Roland Sagum III has been charged with allegedly taking rocks from a 15-acre archaeological preserve in Poipu, Kauai, in 2011. Star-Advertiser.

Two bills that would enable the state Public Utility Commission to consider the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative's status as a member-owned, nonprofit co-op when reviewing regulatory issues have made considerable progress in both chambers of the state Legislature, with ample support from some state agencies and every member of the Kaua‘i County Council. Garden Island.

Arrivals to Kaua‘i grew 10.6 percent to 92,163 visitors in January 2013 with increased arrivals from the top four visitor markets, according to a Hawai‘i Tourism Authority report. Garden Island.

Hawaii House kills Public Land Development Corp., economy hits a high note, absentee voting, preschool, hospital privatization advances, teachers union loses appeal, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii House of Representatives

The state House voted unanimously Thursday to repeal the Public Land Development Corp., foreshadowing the end of a state agency that many lawmakers now admit was a mistake. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii House of Representatives may be divided into factions and parties, but on Thursday it showed unanimity in repealing one of the most controversial state laws in recent memory. Civil Beat.

Members of the state House of Representatives unanimously voted Thursday to repeal Hawaii’s heavily criticized state land development agency. Associated Press.

The PLDC was supposed to fast track the development of public lands something that would pad the state coffers. Voters expressed their outrage from the Big Island to Kauai. KITV4.

The Hawaii House of Representatives unanimously passed HB1133, which would repeal the Public Land Development Corporation (PLDC). Hawaii Reporter.

All members of the State House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly yesterday to abolish the Public Agency it had a part in creating last session to generate revenue by developing State-owned land. Hawaii Public Radio.

There was a time when the name Mililani Trask brought to mind phrases such as "native sovereignty" and "Hawaiian activist." So it's surprised many to see that the longtime Hawaiian rights advocate and attorney is championing the controversial Public Land Development Corp. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's economy is poised to grow this year at its fastest pace since 2005, buoyed by continued strength in the visitor market and a long-awaited turnaround in the construction industry, according to a forecast scheduled for release today by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. Star-Advertiser.

A University of Hawaii economic report says construction this year will join tourism in propelling the state economic recovery. Hawaii News Now.

Hiring flattens out across Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Absentee voting is gaining in popularity, so much so that Hawaii's governor has proposed all mail-in voting. The Legislature is considering the governor's idea. Civil Beat.

Legislation aimed at allowing the privatization of Hawaii’s public hospitals continues to advance, with legislators working to address some of the issues which have drawn criticism from employees who fear their jobs could be in jeopardy. Tribune-Herald.

President Barack Obama’s push this week for universal early education could breathe new life into Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s mission to provide a state-funded preschool program for all Hawaii’s 4-year-olds. Civil Beat.

The state appeals court affirmed Thursday a 2011 Circuit Court ruling against the teachers union in its labor dispute with the state. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and the state Department of Health launched a multimedia campaign Thursday to steer teenagers away from soda and other sugary drinks and toward healthier choices such as water. The $275,000 "Rethink Your Drink" campaign, funded by the state's share of tobacco settlement money, will run through May and include television, radio, print and movie theater ads. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii drivers paid more at the pump on Thursday than they did a week ago, with the average statewide price of a gallon of regular unleaded coming in 7 cents higher, according to AAA Hawaii’s Weekend Gas Watch. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii State Senate today confirmed Theodore I. Sakai as Director of the Department of Public Safety.  Sakai has been serving as the interim Director of Public Safety since June 1, 2012, when he was appointed by the Governor. Hawaii Reporter.

State roundup for February 15. Associated Press.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council is renewing efforts to clear Oahu sidewalks of tents and other belongings of homeless people and others with two bills scheduled to get their first airing at a meeting Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

City officials would be able to slap bigger fines on people who ignore repeated requests to clear weeds, garbage and other waste on their property, under a bill advanced by the City Council Zoning Committee on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

In the face of community opposition, Mayor Kirk Caldwell may relocate a lifeguard substation that was originally planned for Waikiki’s limited waterfront area to Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds of thousands of people, but no bathrooms. That's the situation for city bus riders at the Alapai Transit Center in Honolulu. KHON2.

The Coast Guard expressed frustration Thursday about a third laser strike on its Oahu-based aircraft in the last five months, saying people need to be aware of the risk to its aircrews. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Army National Guard ceremoniously broke ground Thursday on a more than $100 million readiness center for the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Kalaeloa. Star-Advertiser.

Rockne Freitas has been tapped to lead the University of Hawaii at West Oahu as the campus prepares to boost enrollment and expand facilities in coming years. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The perennial question of whether corporation counsel has a conflict of interest representing both the mayor and County Council will again be debated by County Council members Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

The state Ethics Commission has levied a $10,000 fine against William Eric Boyd, an employee of a charter school in Hilo, for ordering and approving purchases for the school from his family business. Star-Advertiser.

If you live in West Hawaii and you receive a cancer diagnosis, there’s a good chance you’re going to cross paths with Dr. Anthony DeSalvo. West Hawaii Today.

Interisland shipping company Young Brothers, Ltd. reported a nominal increase in cargo volume to the neighbor islands last year, but steadily rising amounts of agricultural products. West Hawaii Today.

State officials say many trees in mature koa forests of East Hawaii are losing their leaves due to a sudden, sharp increase in a native moth population. KHON2.

Maui
The Maui AIDS Foundation raised $19,000 during their signature Mardi Gras Maui event held over the weekend at the King Kamehameha Golf Course. Maui Now.

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa has entered a partnership with Maui Electric Company as part of a renewable energy pilot project. Maui Now.

Kauai

The recently released 2013 Transparency Report Card gave the Kaua‘i County Council a perfect A-plus score, topping the entire state when comes down to online government transparency. Garden Island.

After coming out of an executive session Wednesday evening, the Kaua‘i County Council approved an additional $75,000 to be used by the administration in private attorney fees to defend itself in a civil case filed by Councilman Tim Bynum. Garden Island.

The Department of Water has extended its deadline for public comment and feedback on its water system development fee to March 8. Garden Island.

The Kaua‘i Police Department Special Services Team will get some extra help from a high-precision sniper rifle. Additionally, police trucks and SUVs will be equipped with a top-of-the-line digital radio system. Garden Island.