Hawaiian Electric Co. barred from denying solar applications, excise tax surcharge advances, Calvin Say cleared, police kill, injure civilians during busy Big Island weekend, Honolulu, Hawaii County, Kauai mayors offer basic budgets, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Solar panels in Hilo © 2015 All Hawaii News

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission says Hawaiian Electric Co. can’t deny rooftop solar applications for any reason except technical difficulties. An agreement signed Friday by commission Chairman Randy Iwase and electric company CEO Alan Oshima says the utility has a duty to approve photovoltaic systems. Associated Press.

The price of oil has plummeted by more than 50 percent since July, falling to its lowest point in six years and buoying the hopes of cash-strapped residents that they will see major reductions in their electricity bills. But as statements covering February power usage begin rolling out, those residents may be disappointed by the relatively moderate dip in rates. Hawaiian Electric customers on Oahu, the Big Island and Maui will still be paying two to three times the national average for electricity. Civil Beat.

A proposal in the state Legislature that would give all Hawaii counties the opportunity to enact a 0.5 percent surcharge for public transportation projects on top of the 4 percent general excise tax is gaining some traction. Garden Island.

A Hawaii senator who is backed by the state’s powerful police union hit the brakes on a bill Friday that would have made public the names of officers suspended for misconduct. Civil Beat.

A coalition representing Native Hawaiian homesteaders has created a plan outlining ways to improve the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Their plan calls on the state government to fully fund the department, which is responsible for administering the Hawaiian Home Lands Commission Act. Associated Press.

A special panel of state lawmakers decided that Rep. Calvin Say meets the qualifications to serve in the House of Representatives, saying there was no compelling evidence behind a group of voters’ claims that Say doesn’t live in the district he represents. The House committee had been formed to investigate the latest challenge to former Speaker Say’s residency. Associated Press.

The commanding officer of the Pearl Harbor-based Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Mississippi was relieved of his duties Friday due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command, the Navy said. Star-Advertiser.

Opinion: A controversial staff hire and her persistent digs at the president have caused many to question U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Whether the criticism endures depends in large part on her. Civil Beat.

Oahu

After delivering a no-frills State of the City speech last week, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell will likely submit an equally low-key budget package to the City Council on Monday. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council is seeking qualified applicants for the vacant post of city clerk. Former City Clerk Bernice Mau retired last year. Glen Takahashi, assistant city clerk, has been acting clerk since then. Star-Advertiser.

The Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services has received a $246,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its programs that assist Hawaii public housing residents. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Union-negotiated pay hikes and federal and state mandates contributed to a workaday county budget expected to rise 4.3 percent to $434.7 million next year. The 2015-16 spending plan released by Mayor Billy Kenoi late Friday has few new frills, projects or services. West Hawaii Today.

A 31-year-old Hilo man is hospitalized in critical condition after a police-involved shooting late Saturday night in downtown Hilo, police said. Lt. Greg Esteban said two officers were involved in the shooting, which occurred on the Kilauea Avenue extension in downtown Hilo, shortly before midnight. Tribune-Herald.

A 63-year-old Michigan man was killed Sunday after being struck by an on-duty Hawaii Police Department officer in what the Hawaii County Fire Department described as a hit-and-run incident on Waikoloa Road in South Kohala. West Hawaii Today.

Following an outcry from local landscapers, Hawaii County has postponed implementing a program requiring commercial operators to haul their green waste to the landfills rather than dumping it at transfer stations. The program, originally slated to go into effect Monday, won’t be implemented until July 1. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is apparently looking into whether the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. plantation is operating in compliance with federal clean air regulations. The agency sent a seven-page letter to the state's last remaining sugar grower Nov. 24, asking for documents and records about its biomass energy plant and cane burning operations. Star-Advertiser.

In a sign of Maui's worsening doctor shortage, Maui Memorial Medical Center is working on a contract with Kaiser Permanente to have its pediatricians cover patients at the hospital after private physicians told hospital officials they would no longer provide the service as of May 1. Maui News.

Alarm bells were rung again at the state Capitol on Friday, warning of the dire financial condition of Maui Memorial Medical Center and the Maui region of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui News.

By early next month, a 40-bed skilled nursing and intermediate care facility may get the green light from the state to begin construction at the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei. Maui News.

Cary & Eddie's Hideaway Restaurant and Bar served its final last call Saturday night after being a mainstay eatery on Maui for 15 years. Maui News.

Rules for drones proposed. Maui enthusiasts offer differing opinions on FAA regulations. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County will start to charge property owners for garbage pickup based on the size of their trash bin. Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. says the county is trying to reduce the waste going to the landfill. Associated Press.

County Managing Director Nadine Nakamura and Ernest Barreira, county assist procurement officer and budget team leader, presented the mayor’s budget analysis and recommendations at the Kauai Police Commission meeting Friday. The mayor intends to spread $8.2 million in cuts across all departments, agencies and offices. Garden Island.

For a little more than two decades, efforts have been made to divert not just discarded items but especially green waste from the Kekaha Landfill. Garden Island.

Obama to name Japanese internment camp a national monument, medical marijuana dispensaries advance in House, Senate to hear GMO labeling bill, school lunch prices could increase, Iwase popular PUC pick, Maui biogas project on hold, Galuteria owes $7k for declaring wrong residence, 160 acres on Oahu to be blanketed in solar panels, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Old Honouliuli Internment Camp in Kunia, courtesy National Park Service

President Barack Obama will announce Thursday the designation of the old Honouliuli Internment Camp in Kunia as a national monument to "help tell the difficult story of the internment camp's impact on the Japanese American community and the fragility of civil rights during times of conflict," the White House said. Star-Advertiser.

For more than half a century, what had once been Hawaii’s largest and longest-operating internment camp was ignored and forgotten. To the hundreds of Japanese Americans who had been forcibly confined at the camp, the experience was a source of shame and rarely spoken of until it was rediscovered by historians more than a decade ago. Tribune-Washington Bureau.

A bill that would establish medical marijuana dispensaries and production centers in Hawaii passed through the House committees on Judiciary and Health on Tuesday afternoon. Civil Beat.

A bill to allow medical marijuana dispensaries across Hawaii — nearly 15 years after state leaders made medical use of the drug permissible — is still alive in the House. Star-Advertiser.

Michelle Tippens is one of nearly 13,000 patients in Hawaii who have conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana. But because there are no dispensaries in Hawaii, they’re left to fend for themselves, buying on the black market or growing it themselves. Associated Press.

The state Senate committees on Health and Agriculture will take testimony Thursday on a bill calling for the labeling of food with genetically modified organisms. Civil Beat.

Randy Iwase, whose nomination to head the state Public Utilities Commission was unanimously recommended Tuesday by a Senate committee, said it could take a year to 18 months for the commission to decide whether to approve the sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Inc. Star-Advertiser.

There seems to be nothing but love for Randy Iwase. Gov. David Ige’s nominee to head the state Public Utilities Commission easily cleared a Senate committee hurdle Tuesday. He’s on track to be confirmed by the full Senate, possibly by the end of this week. Civil Beat.

Randall Iwase told state senators that if he’s confirmed as chairman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, he will make public input a priority when tackling the commission’s biggest issue — reviewing NextEra Energy’s plan to take over Hawaiian Electric. Associated Press.

The Governor’s nominee to head the Public Utilities Commission was unanimously approved by a Senate panel today. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Board of Education's finance committee Tuesday tabled a proposal to raise school lunch prices by 30 percent over the next three years and challenged officials to instead look at cutting costs and boosting student demand for meals. Star-Advertiser.

The Department of Education is asking for an increase of 10 cents more for breakfast and 25 cents for lunch not just for next year, but for the next three years. KITV4.

Warmer temperatures and unstable conditions created by climate change could make it harder for Hawaii's native species to survive, while creating a opening for invasive disease-spreaders like mice and mosquitoes, state Health Department officials said Tuesday. Maui News.

ALTRES Office/Professional and ALTRES Technical, divisions of ALTRES Staffing, Hawaii’s largest human resources organization, announced today a significant spike in demand for office and technical professionals across all islands. While the state continues to experience unemployment rates at record lows, Hawaii’s available workforce is thinning out. Hawaii Independent.

Opinion: Gov. David Ige’s nomination of development lobbyist Carleton Ching to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources continues to generate lots of heated reaction. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Hawaii Sen. Brickwood Galuteria owes the City and County of Honolulu more than $7,200 in property taxes and fees after improperly claiming a homeowners’ tax break on property in Palolo Valley for the past four years. Civil Beat.

About 200,000 solar panels may soon cover about 160 open acres of land laced with kiawe trees and brush that stretch from the edges of Kamaile Academy to the base of the Waianae Mountains. The 27.6-megawatt project is one of eight large solar farms planned for Oahu that are expected to break ground by the end of the year in order to take advantage of lucrative federal tax credits. Civil Beat.

Two plans aimed at making it easier for Oahu properties to have two living units, and a bill cracking down on illegal vacation rentals, will be aired by the Honolulu Planning Commission at a public hearing Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Building a 95-unit condominium in place of 19 homes on the slopes of Punchbowl didn't go over well with neighbors when it was proposed eight years ago. Now a revised plan with 140 condo units is raising even more opposition. Star-Advertiser.

Nasty weather over the weekend wreaked havoc on many parts of the windward side including one of Oahu's very popular and illegal hiking trails. Haiku Stairs, better known as the Stairway to Heaven, saw "extensive damage" according to Ernest Lau, Manager and Chief Engineer at the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Lau says that plans are being made to conduct an assessment of the "stairs" and they want to see if a landslide was responsible for some of the damage. Hawaii News Now.

In an effort to combat websites and blogs that have been driving people to the off-limits Sacred Falls State Park, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is stepping up its communication efforts about the consequences of trespassing. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii officials have long been warning people to stay away from Sacred Falls, a dramatic waterfall where a landslide killed eight hikers more than 15 years ago. Associated Press.

Hawaii

What if Hawaii Island residents owned their own electric utility? That’s the question being posed by a nonprofit group that filed on Feb. 11 a motion with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to intervene in the pending $4.3 billion sale of Hawaii Electric Light Co’s parent company, Hawaiian Electric Co. (HEI), to NextEra Energy. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative is seeking a seat at the table as the Public Utilities Commission considers the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Industries and NextEra Energy. Star-Advertiser.

Big Island business and community leaders have formed a nonprofit coop called the Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative to explore taking over Hawaii Electric Light Co., a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Co. Civil Beat.

An Ocean View man who has become the poster child for the debate over the harvest of aquarium fish pleaded no contest Tuesday to tearing the regulator from the mouth of Maui reef activist Rene Umberger in West Hawaii waters last May. Jay Lovell, an aquarium fisherman of 30 years, received a deferred six-month prison sentence on the charge of second-degree terroristic threatening. West Hawaii Today.

More than 50 testifiers and three experts on aquarium fish collection kept a Hawaii County Council committee busy into the evening Tuesday, as council members pondered two bills attempting to regulate sea life collectors and set standards for transporting fish. West Hawaii Today.

Kulani Correctional Facility warden Ruth Forbes has been put on leave pending a review of allegations by employees at the facility, the state Department of Public Safety said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz will hold a town hall meeting today in Hilo. The meeting will last from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Hilo High School cafeteria. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Electric Co. has decided to hold off on submitting to Hawaii regulators a power purchase agreement with California-based Anaergia Services for a proposed agricultural energy project that would generate up to 6 megawatts of biogas energy, according to a letter from the utility's president to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. Pacific Business News.

The House Labor and Public Employment Committee on Tuesday passed House Bill 1075, which would allow the Maui region of HHSC — including Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital — to transition into a new private nonprofit under Hawai‘i Pacific Health, the state's largest medical provider. Star-Advertiser.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks will close the Puʻuōlaʻi (Little Beach) area and a portion of Mākena Beach State Park in South Maui on Wednesday, Feb. 18, while DLNR staff and military ordnance experts conduct an investigation. Maui Now.

Heavy winds and rain Saturday knocked out power to more than 3,500 Maui Electric customers - and to a wastewater pump in Waiehu that caused a sewage spill. Maui News.

Kauai
Officials from Starwood Hotels and Resort say they intend to convert a portion of the Sheraton Kauai Resort into timeshares by the end of this year as a part of a larger proposal to turn the worldwide corporation’s vacation ownership arm into a separate, publicly traded company. Garden Island.

Consumer spending fattens state budget, Obama vacation costs Honolulu police $277K in overtime, Hawaii banker named to federal reserve, schools lag under decentralization, manta rays suffer fin damage, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Shoppers in Waikiki © 2015 All Hawaii News

Increased consumer spending, spurred by savings from lower gasoline and heating fuel prices, should help the U.S. economy overall and in turn have a positive impact on Hawaii's economy, state economists predicted Tuesday. The improved economic outlook prompted the state Council on Revenues to revise upward its forecast for the current fiscal year, predicting revenue growth of about 4.5 percent, up from the 3.5 percent growth predicted in September. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige’s administration and state lawmakers have a little more money to work with as they develop the next biennium budget for the state in the coming months. The Hawaii Council on Revenues decided Tuesday to increase its revenue forecast for the current fiscal year, which started July 1. Its previous projection of a 3.5 percent increase in revenue was raised to 4.5 percent, which translates to roughly $53.7 million in additional revenues for the general fund. Civil Beat.

No new day for school empowerment. A pair of new studies show decentralization of the DOE saw little progress over the past four years. Will our new governor have more success? Hawaii Independent.

Allan Landon, the unflappable and unpretentious former head of the state's second-largest bank, is being summoned for another challenge. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said he will nominate Landon, 65, to a seat on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board. If approved by the Senate, he would become the first banking executive from Hawaii to ever serve on the prestigious committee. Star-Advertiser.

President Barack Obama said Tuesday he plans to nominate retired Bank of Hawaii Chairman and CEO Allan R. Landon to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii’s largest health insurer says it’s still having substantial problems with the state’s health exchange. The staff at Hawaii Medical Services Association has spent 27,940 hours working on technical issues with the Connector, and a fifth of those hours were spent in the last two months. Associated Press.

Obesity task force seeks fee for sugar-sweetened drinks. KITV4.

FBI: Investment Scams on the Rise in Hawaii. Hawaii Reporter.

Oahu

The bill has come in for President Barack Obama and his family's holiday vacation in Hawaii. According to Honolulu police, the cost for HPD officers' overtime pay during the first family's visit was more than $277,000. Hawaii News Now.

President Barack Obama left Oahu over the weekend, but he left Honolulu taxpayers with the bill. KHON2.

The state has lost its appeal of a judge's ruling in which the state Department of Human Services was found negligent, along with a Navy diver based at Pearl Harbor, in the 2009 death of the sailor's 14-month-old boy. Star-Advertiser.

Developers of a wind farm set to break ground later this year in Kahuku are boasting of its low-priced energy, but Oahu residents will still be paying six times the national average for the wind energy produced from the 10 turbines. Civil Beat.

It was pretty certain before 2014 was over that Oahu home prices would set a record. And they did. Yet there also was a dip in the number of sales as limited inventory clashed a bit with buyer demand. The Honolulu Board of Realtors released for publication Wednesday its latest monthly sale report with December data that rounded out a year during which record prices were broken. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Creating more housing by allowing people to live in industrial-commercial mixed districts is proving a tough pill for the Hawaii County Council to swallow. The council Planning Committee on Tuesday lauded the goal of a measure advanced by the county administration, but said there are too many concerns to allow Bill 4 to go forward without more work. West Hawaii Today.

A Tuesday morning overflight of the June 27 lava flow showed that breakouts upslope of the stalled front advanced another 150 yards to the north in the past day. Hawaii County Civil Defense said the breakouts were about 1-1.5 miles upslope of the front, which has remained quiet for about a week. Tribune-Herald.

Lava flowing from Kīlauea’s Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Vent has left the lower Puna community in a state of limbo. The slow moving disaster has prompted one researcher to look at how residents are coping with the flow. Hawaii Public Radio.

Earl Bakken, the 91-year-old inventor of the pacemaker and a longtime Big Island resident, already has his 9-acre Kona Coast estate off the grid but now wants to power it without any fossil fuels. Now Bakken has started building one of the largest private residential photovoltaic systems in Hawaii not connected to a utility electrical grid. Star-Advertiser.

Big Island employers began paying the state’s new increased minimum wage last week, and the change is either long overdue or an unwelcome hardship, depending on whom you talk to. Tribune-Herald.

Opinion: Could an Airship Ferry Residents Stranded by the Lava Flow? A Hilo attorney and entrepreneur has a plan for the "Lava Ferry" if Highway 130 in Pahoa is taken out. Civil Beat.

Maui

A Maui research and conservation group says 10 percent of the more than 300 manta rays in waters south of Lahaina have amputated or severely damaged fins. The Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research says the manta rays are injured when they get caught in fishing lines. Associated Press.

About 10 percent of 330 manta rays identified off Olowalu have an amputated or severely damaged fin used in eating, caused by entanglement in fishing lines. Maui News.

Coffee growers on Maui are bracing for a destructive beetle to eventually make its way to the island. Star-Advertiser.

Maui coffee growers are taking measures to belay the arrival of the coffee berry borer beetle that has been brewing trouble for farmers on the Big Island for years and that made its way to Oahu in December. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai legislators are preparing district and shared concerns as they get ready for their first session Jan. 21. Garden Island.

Community meetings will be held around the island next week to discuss the county’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The discussions will be led by the Kauai Civil Defense Agency and two researchers from the University of Hawaii’s Social Science Research Institute, Dr. Cheryl Anderson and Dr. Sarah Henly-Shepard. Garden Island.

Fishing changes coming, FBI probes Honolulu Police Department, rail audit to be revealed, lava viewing area to open, shops close in path of lava, rooftop solar slides, albatross eggs moved off Kauai missile range, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Fish rules workshop © 2014 All Hawaii News

Fisheries management officials are considering changes that could have profound effects on the catch and sale of popular island fish — from yellowfin ahi to deep-water species such as opakapaka and onaga. State and federal officials last weekend held the last of seven community meetings around the islands to discuss fish-related proposals that will be taken up separately next year by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council. Star-Advertiser.

The union for Hawaii public school teachers says some of its members are being caught up in lengthy investigations for alleged misconduct that 7 out of 10 times results in clearance of wrongdoing by schools — but their reputations are maligned in the process. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission on Tuesday approved sweeping changes to the basic framework for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' controversial month-to-month land leasing program, authorizing reforms intended to make the process more transparent and more fair. Star-Advertiser.

The state’s Early Intervention Program helps more than 2-thousand disabled children up to age 3. Proponents want to reinstate the program to include all children who need help. Hawaii Public Radio.

Opinion: Do Public Agencies Have to Keep Reasonably Accurate Records? A recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling may condone foot-dragging in the maintenance of public records. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The federal criminal case against the man accused of stealing Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha's mailbox has been dismissed and the FBI might now be looking into the Honolulu Police Department's handling of the case. Star-Advertiser.

The FBI has been asked to investigate how the Honolulu Police Department handled a case involving HPD Chief Louis Kealoha, his stolen mailbox and his wife’s estranged uncle, who was accused in the crime. Civil Beat.

The board of directors for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, the agency charged with overseeing the construction of the city's $5.16 billion rail transit system, will hear the results of an audit of HART's finances on Thursday. Pacific Business News.

The number of rooftop solar permits Honolulu issued in November fell by 50 percent from the prior year, marking 19 months of year-over-year decline for the solar industry. Star-Advertiser.

Seven proposed solar farms recently announced by Hawaiian Electric Co. are projected to raise Oahu residents’ electricity bills in the long run. That’s in part because natural gas, which Hawaii is planning to import in coming years, is expected to drive down overall electricity rates, making the solar pricing less competitive. Civil Beat.

Coffee grown at Waialua Estate Coffee Farms and roasted at the Old Waialua Sugar Mill were placed under quarantine on Tuesday due to a coffee berry borer infestation. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The active front of the June 27 lava flow continued marching down the steepest path of descent Tuesday, still headed in the direction of the Pahoa Marketplace, albeit moving a bit slower than in days past. Tribune-Herald.

The first shops began to shutter, while many others prepared to follow suit, Tuesday at Pahoa Marketplace as the June 27 lava flow continued its approach less than a mile away. Tribune-Herald.

An area for viewing cooled lava will open in Pahoa on Wednesday, even as a breakout from Kilauea Volcano continued advancing toward a shopping center and prompted the closure of a gas station. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

In addition to recently terminated Programming Director Shawn Michael, four additional former Akaku employees appeared at the Dec. 15, 2014 meeting of the public access cable channel’s board of directors to call for an independent investigation of management practices at the station. Maui Time.

Saving Hawaii’s Native Crows — on Maui. The Maui Bird Conservation Center is doing incredible work, but federal budget cuts are slowing the birds' return to the wild. Civil Beat.

The authors of a new Maui law banning the cultivation of genetically modified organisms won standing Monday to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the measure. Maui News.

Proponents of the recently passed GMO Initiative on Maui have been given the green light to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the measure, attorneys confirmed. Maui Now.

Kauai

Dozens of Laysan albatross eggs will be relocated to Oahu from Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility today in a first-of-its-kind attempt to establish a new colony of the nesting seabirds on Hawaii’s most populated island. Garden Island.

U.S. Navy officials on Wednesday plan to transport some 45 Laysan albatross eggs in need of refuge to a Windward Oahu site from a nesting area at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in West Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Circuit Court tosses former Speaker Calvin Say's residency challenge, gubernatorial candidates differ on budget, new boss for Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii County builds roads to dodge lava flow, Maui to talk GMO, coral bleaching worsens, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Former House Speaker Calvin Say © 2014 All Hawaii News

A Circuit Court judge Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to state Rep. and former House Speaker Calvin Say's residency, ruling that the state House has the exclusive power to determine the qualifications of its members. Star-Advertiser.

Calvin Say has survived another challenge to his legal residency. In a ruling released Tuesday, Circuit Judge Karen Nakasone said Hawaii courts do not have authority to “judge” the qualifications of House members. That authority resides with the House, which intervened in a lawsuit challenging Say’s residency. Civil Beat.

A Circuit Court judge has dismissed a petition that asks the court to verify the residence of state Rep. Calvin Say. KHON2.

Hawaii gubernatorial candidates had tough questions for their opponents as they debated starting new public-private partnerships to address recurring problems and sparred over who would inflict less pain while balancing the budget. Associated Press.

Hawaii’s top three candidates for governor took on many issues — from the expected to the improbable — during Tuesday evening’s debate. But it remains unclear whether specific policy stances will drive voters on Nov. 4 when they choose between Democrat David Ige, Republican Duke Aiona, Hawaii Independent Party candidate Mufi Hannemann and Libertarian Jeff Davis. Civil Beat.

Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann on Tuesday night tried to pin state Sen. David Ige with responsibility for the state's troubled public hospitals, but Ige countered that he has done more than the other two gubernatorial candidates to improve the system. Star-Advertiser.

KITV4 hosted three candidates gunning for the governorship in the station's first televised debate among the final gubernatorial candidates.

Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he has far more executive experience than the other two leading candidates for governor, but they said they have backgrounds that prepare them to lead state government. Hawaii News Now.

State Public Safety Director Ted Sakai, named the nation's Outstanding Director of Corrections on Tuesday, said his department is unveiling a pilot program on wellness this month that aims to reduce prison guard sick calls, starting at Oahu Community Correctional Center. Star-Advertiser.

Republican Charles Djou and Democrat Mark Takai are making last-minute pitches for more money as their tight congressional race enters its final 35 days. Civil Beat.

Livingston "Jack" Wong, who has been the interim CEO of Kamehameha Schools since April when CEO Dee Jay Mailer retired, has been named the third CEO of the $10.1 billion trust, Hawaii's largest private landowner. Pacific Business News.

Warm ocean temperatures have caused large expanses of coral to bleach in the pristine reefs northwest of Hawaii's main islands, scientists said Tuesday. Mass bleaching has occurred at Lisianski atoll, about 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu, said Courtney Couch, a researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Coral also bleached at Midway, Pearl and Hermes atolls, but not as severely. Associated Press.

A federal research ship returned to Honolulu from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on Tuesday with evidence of aquatic species never seen before and having made discoveries of fishes never before recorded in those waters. But scientists also documented some distressing news: a major episode of coral bleaching at remote Lisianski Island, plus moderate bleaching at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Pearl and Hermes Atoll. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

State lawmakers Tuesday grilled Honolulu's police chief and two of his deputies on policies regarding domestic violence investigations — seeking answers about how officers respond to calls and about what's being done in response to video showing an officer in an apparent assault on his girlfriend. Star-Advertiser.

A Joint Legislative Committee on Public Safety convened an informational briefing today on the Honolulu Police Department’s response to domestic violence cases. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell plans to create a temporary office to manage city properties, acquire housing for the homeless and advance his affordable housing strategy at a cost of about $500,000 a year, the city’s managing director says. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers and Hawaiian Electric Co. want to give utility customers who don't own rooftop space the opportunity to take advantage of certain benefits of renewable energy. The plan is to create community solar farms or "solar gardens" that give people the option to invest in large-scale solar systems and lower their electrical bills. Star-Advertiser.

Duo bucks eviction from DHHL parcel hosting small farm. A petting zoo on land in Waimanalo has local support as it fights to remain. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The state Office of Elections was “absurdly out of touch” with the situation in Puna after Tropical Storm Iselle, state Sen. Russell Ruderman said Tuesday afternoon. West Hawaii Today.

The June 27 lava flow remains weak while inflation, a sign of intruding magma, gradually builds at Kilauea. Tribune-Herald.

VIDEO: Lava Anxiety Triggers Nanawale Exodus. Big Island Video News.

In less than three weeks, Hawai'i County crews completed two emergency bypass roads in the lower Puna area in preparation for the very real possibility that the June 27th lava flow will cut across Highway 130 -- but work is a little slower to begin on a third, and likely the most critical route: Chain of Craters Road, which passes through Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii County plans to reinforce its restrictions on accessing Kaohe Homesteads after a tour company was found to be using the neighborhood to reach the June 27 lava flow. County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said a supplemental emergency proclamation will be issued shortly specifically prohibiting tour groups. Tribune-Herald.

Fall enrollment at University of Hawaii at Hilo declined for the second year in a row, despite hopes by administrators the university could maintain last year’s student levels. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

"Living Downwind from Monsanto's GMO Fields, are We Risking Our Health?" is the title of a panel discussion to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Kihei Community Center. Maui Weekly.

Maui Electric Co. proposes to reduce customer bills by, among other things, switching from costly diesel fuel to lower-cost liquefied natural gas for its electric generation plants, but Maui County Energy Commissioner Doug McLeod is challenging other parts of the utility's power supply improvement plans and questioning the long-term viability of natural gas. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council will consider today a set of seven measures that aim to reform current real property tax laws and assist some property owners who received noticeable increases on their tax bills over the past two months. Garden Island.

Craig DeCosta, Daniel Hempey, and Greg Meyers will each be known as Judge, effective Oct. 1. Garden Island.

AG lawsuit says Plavix ineffective for Hawaii ethnicities, Honolulu judge denied second term, Maui mulls beach smoking ban, United could lay off hundreds, Honolulu solar panel owners going rogue, public campaign funding bill dies, Kona could get movie production center, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hanauma Bay (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

A park advocacy group says Honolulu isn’t going far enough to fix up the most treasured “jewel in the crown” — Hanauma Bay. Civil Beat.

The state attorney general is suing the manufacturers of a blockbuster prescription blood thinner who he says covered up evidence that the pricey alternative to aspirin would be ineffective for much of Hawaii's population. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s attorney general is suing the makers of a widely prescribed blood thinner he says a significant portion of the state’s population has difficulty metabolizing. Associated Press.

A lawsuit filed today by the State Attorney General against the makers of Plavix alleges that they marketed a drug in Hawaii that they knew would not work for up to half of the population. Hawaii News Now.

Today, Attorney General David M. Louie filed a lawsuit in the First Circuit Court pursuing civil penalties and disgorgement of profits for deceptive and unfair marketing practices related to the blockbuster antiplatelet drug Plavix. Hawaii Reporter.

The State of Hawaii is taking a major drug company to court. Yesterday, Attorney General David Louie filed a lawsuit for unfair and deceptive marketing practices related to the drug Plavix, which has been sold on the islands since 1998.Hawaii Public Radio.

A bill that would have changed campaign finance laws for state elections in Hawaii died in the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, halting its progress unless the group decides to hear the bill again this session. Associated Press.

Two bills expected to be approved by the Senate Judiciary and Labor committee Thursday represent the kind of legislation that demonstrates lawmakers can get tough on crime. House Bill 2205 would remove the probation option for sentencing people convicted of habitual property crimes. House Bill 2034 would eliminate the statute of limitations on first- and second-degree sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14 Civil Beat.

A bill moving through the Hawaii Legislature would give the state director of transportation the authority to set motor vehicle inspection rates and make other changes to the inspection program. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii’s public school system isn’t planning to ask for more time to carry out ambitious reforms that won the state a $75 million federal grant. Associated Press.

Defining instructional hours to allow for greater flexibility is the one thing everyone agrees HB1675 needs in order to be effective. Hawaii Independent.

Kim

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has endorsed Hawaii state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim for the 1st Congressional District seat.Civil Beat.

With the March 31 deadline to sign up for health coverage looming, the Hawaii Health Connector announced Wednesday thousands of Hawaii residents could be eligible for no-cost health coverage or tax credits. Tribune-Herald.

The United States has been at the forefront of growing genetically modified crops. But in Europe, the technology has met with a great deal of opposition. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hundreds of United Airlines employees could be laid off as the air carrier re-evaluates its ground operations at three Hawaii airports. KITV4.

The Hawaiian Electric Company is exploring the use of liquefied natural gas for power generation. Tribune-Herald.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: March 20. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Thursday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.

Oahu

A controversial Circuit Court judge is losing his job after complaints from lawyers about his on-the-job performance, a rare "firing" of a judge. Sources said the Judicial Selection Commission will not retain Oahu Circuit Judge Patrick Border for a second 10-year term when his term expires April 7. Hawaii News Now.

With Oahu in a solar power crunch, homeowners are going rogue, turning their panels on without permission from Hawaiian Electric Co. KHON2.

A bill aimed at making it easier for shoreline property owners to put up retaining walls may set a dangerous precedent and cause harm to Oahu's beaches and other coastal areas, city planning officials and environmentalists say. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Police Department is teaming up with Hawaii’s politically powerful police union to oppose legislation that would require police agencies to disclose the names of all officers disciplined for misconduct. Civil Beat.

Despite numerous signs warning of penalties for trespassing, 92 people have been issued citations at Sacred Falls State Park since the beginning of 2012, including the two that were issued to lost hikers Wednesday, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Star-Advertiser.

Developers proposing a condominium tower largely surrounded by midrise town homes and rental apartments on a parking lot in Kakaako sailed through an initial public hearing Wednesday, attracting hardly a speck of the dissent raised last year on a similar project nearby. Star-Advertiser.

After more than a decade's wait, H&M will open its first Hawaii location at noon March 27 in the Waikiki Business Plaza, with 31,000 square feet of fashion on two floors. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Kona-based United Airlines employees are disputing the company’s official statement about upcoming personnel changes at Kona International Airport. West Hawaii Today.

Nearly an acre of land in Hawi would be preserved as a community park under a proposal the Hawaii County Council Finance Committee supported Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

Kona movie production center in the works. West Hawaii Today.

County must redo Lono Kona sewer project hearing. West Hawaii Today.

Maui
County cuts fleet of vehicles taken home by workers. Water department tricky because of 1993 arbitration decision. Maui News.

Maui County Council members are considering a bill that would ban smoking, tobacco products and electronic smoking devices at county parks and beaches. Maui News.

House lawmakers from Maui today issued an announcement saying they have secured more than $460 million in capital improvement project funds, including $130 million for the construction of the long-awaited Kīhei High School in South Maui. Maui Now.

A larger than anticipated demand for a free Google internet seminar on Maui, prompted organizers to add a second session on Wednesday afternoon. Maui Now.

Kauai

Ron Horoshko seeks seat on County Council. Garden Island.

The FIRST robotics team is in its final days before leaving for the Hawaii Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Garden Island.

Molokai

Molokai Community Health Center, which is in the midst of an  $8.5 million capital campaign, will receive $500,000 from the state to help fund the renovations that will turn the old Pau Hana in in Kaunakakai into a wellness campus. Pacific Business News.

After starting a robotics program on a trial basis this year, students of Molokai Middle School (MMS) have swept the competition, placing first and third in the state. That qualifies them to compete in the 2014 VEX Robotics World Championship VEX IQ Challenge Division in California next month as well as the International VEX Summer Games in Honolulu. Molokai Dispatch.

Minimum wage, hospital privatization, shorter school year, 300 bills moving at Hawaii Legislature, Big Island farmer sues over GMO law, record solar sales leaving middle-class behind, former Maui mayor running for state House, researchers study acid-loving coral, Democrats caucus tonight, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii House chambers

Nearing the halfway point of the legislative session, the state House and Senate have traded bills that would increase the minimum wage, finance preschool for low-income children, lift the cap on hotel room tax revenue to the counties, and guide residential development in Kakaako. House and Senate leaders said after positioning hundreds of bills for exchange between the chambers by Thursday's deadline that they would still like to settle the minimum wage debate early, avoiding the pressure of end-of-session negotiations. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers have passed measures in both chambers to set the public school year at 990 instructional hours over 180 school days. Both the House and Senate have advanced bills that would repeal a 2010 law that scheduled an increase in the school year to 1,080 hours by 2016. Associated Press.

As expected, most bills heard by the Hawaii Legislature on Tuesday were approved, allowing them to cross from one chamber to the other. They include measures to increase Hawaii's minimum wage, improve education and take care of kupuna. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Senate made short work of a heap of bills Tuesday, passing more than 300 measures to send to the House. Proposals aimed at curtailing invasive species, preparing for climate change and addressing aging in Hawaii sailed through the chamber as lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol debated a host of bills in advance of a major legislative deadline. Associated Press.

Some Lawmakers Oppose Ukulele as State Instrument. Hawaii Public Radio.

Commentary: Why Is There No Record of Many Legislative Hearings? Civil Beat.

A Senate bill to transfer state public hospitals to a private nonprofit has crossed over to the state House of Representatives, keeping it alive this lawmaking session. Maui News.

Hawaii lawmakers have taken a major step toward opening up police officers to more public scrutiny and oversight when it comes to their misconduct. On Tuesday, Hawaii House of Representatives voted unanimously on a bill that would eliminate a provision from the state's public records law that for 19 years kept information about most police misconduct out of public view. Civil Beat.

House and Senate lawmakers on Tuesday passed a pair of bills aimed at increasing the state’s minimum wage. What is uncertain, however, is which of the proposals will survive and pass through the Legislature, if any at all.  Garden Island.

State lawmakers are trying to do what they couldn't last year. They want to raise the minimum wage, and hope to agree to pass one of two competing bills. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii lawmakers are trying to level the playing field for retailers on the islands by mandating taxes on Internet sales transactions. Associated Press.

The installation of solar photovoltaic systems in Hawaii set another record in 2013, although the once-explosive pace of growth slowed significantly as electric utilities took a cautious approach to allowing PV systems to connect to the grid in areas where high levels of solar power generation are raising concerns about safety and reliability. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii tourism officials are sharing updates on their outlook for the state's biggest industry and their plans for promoting the islands to travelers around the world. Associated Press.

UH researcher sees oceans growing too acidic. The search is on for "supercorals" that can sustain reefs threatened by a warmer, more acidic ocean. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Health Connector is working with the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly to reach out to Native Hawaiians who may not have health coverage. The two groups signed a $675,000 agreement on Tuesday. Associated Press.

Commentary: Is Part of the Sovereignty Debate Just a Matter of Faith? Civil Beat.

The Democratic Party is looking for a few good men and women. The party’s Biennial Precinct Meetings, commonly known as the precinct caucuses, are happening Wednesday night across the state. KHON2.

Oahu

A woman from Oahu who has led Salt Lake City's municipal parks system is coming home to take over the Honolulu parks director job. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu remains the second-worst city in the nation for traffic congestion: Drivers in this crowded capital city wasted 10 more hours on average sitting in traffic in 2013 than they did the previous year, a new report finds.Star-Advertiser.

President Barack Obama's proposed budget includes promised money for Honolulu's planned rail line. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said in a statement Tuesday the president's budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning in October includes $250 million for the rail transit project. Associated Press.

President Barack Obama’s U.S. Department of Transportation budget for the next fiscal year includes $250 million for the Honolulu rail project, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

The Pentagon released a $496 billion defense budget request Tuesday and a planning road map that call for a smaller Army and retirement of OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters — more than 25 of which are based at Wheeler Army Airfield. Star-Advertiser.

It’s been a long-awaited road project — repaving Kalanianaole Highway through East Honolulu. The State Department of Transportation just announced the work will start sometime between late spring and early summer. KHON2.

Keiki Care: Revolutionary Pilot Program's Campus Health Care Targets Teens. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

An unnamed farmer filed a lawsuit seeking relief from requirements of Hawaii County’s recently enacted ban on genetically modified crops. The suit, John Doe vs. County of Hawaii, was filed Monday in Hilo’s 3rd Circuit Court and seeks relief from the registration provisions of the GMO ban, which were required to be fulfilled by today. Tribune-Herald.

Warnings from Honolulu legislators that they may not support fully funding the Kona Judiciary Complex project this year has Big Island public and private practice attorneys rallying. The bill authorizing the funding is scheduled to go before the House Finance Committee today. West Hawaii Today.

The middle class and poor are increasingly footing the bill for Hawaii Island’s electric grid when wealthier homeowners, businesses and government agencies opt out by installing photovoltaic systems, the county energy coordinator said Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

The former general contractor for a power plant under construction in Pepeekeo is suing the developer and a construction crisis consultant, claiming they locked the contractor out of the construction site for the purposes of theft and corporate espionage. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Former Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana has officially filed to run for the 9th House District seat held by Democratic state Rep. Justin Woodson. Maui News.

An officer of Maui Air, the company whose plane crashed last week on Lanai, killing the pilot and two county workers, said Tuesday that she doesn't know what happened to cause the crash and is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the incident. Maui News.

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the release of $1.5 million in capital improvement grant funds for Heritage Hall, the multi-purpose community complex that honors the history and culture of the Portuguese and Perto Rican immigrants to Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Arthur Brun, a 10-year employee of Syngenta, is the third person to declare his candidacy for the seven-seat county council. Hawaii Independent.

A group of cab drivers is suing the Lihue Airport for unlawful dispatching practices and negligence in preventing acts of retaliation by airport management. The suit, filed at 5th Circuit Court, alleges that unregulated transportation providers are ignoring protocol and cutting in line when it comes to picking up arriving passengers. Garden Island.

National parks visitors bring in bucks, marijuana decriminalization bill dies, building boom causes construction crane shortage, Kaui council passes dog barking bill, workaround averts silent tsunami sirens, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

More than 5 million visitors to national parks in Hawaii spent more than $314 million and supported 3,723 jobs in the state in 2012, the National Park Service said in a new report. Released Monday, the report showed that national park tourism returned $10 for every $1 invested in the park service. Star-Advertiser.

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 5.1 million visitors to national parks in Hawai`i spent more than $314 million and supported 3,723 jobs in the state in 2012. Hawaii Reporter.

Last October was a tough time for visitors and locals who enjoy Hawaii’s national parks. They were closed during the 16-day government shutdown. A new report by the National Park Service estimates a nationwide loss of $414 million and 8 million fewer visitors. Hawaii Public Radio.

Find the full Hawaii National Parks report here.

What Bills Are Still Alive at the Halfway Point of Hawaii's Legislature? Hawaii lawmakers are expected to approve hundreds of bills this week ahead of Thursday's "crossover" deadline when House and Senate bills receive a final vote on whether they should pass from one chamber to the other for consideration. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers plan a fast-paced session of final votes as a major legislative deadline approaches. The House and Senate must pass most bills by the end of Tuesday to send them to the other chamber. Those that miss the crossover deadline can't become laws. Associated Press.

Juvenile offenders in Hawaii could no longer be sentenced to life without parole under a bill scheduled for a vote by state lawmakers. The bill up for a vote in the House on Tuesday would guarantee the possibility of parole to prisoners who commit first degree murder or first degree attempted murder before they turned 18. Associated Press.

A bill that would have made possession of an ounce of marijuana or less a civil rather than criminal offense is dead for the session. Big Island Now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Monday released $96.6 million that will go toward improving Hawaii’s airports, including $50 million for the reconstruction of a taxiway and $35.7 million for a new commuter terminal east of the Diamond Head concourse at Honolulu International Airport. Pacific Business News.

Patent reform legislation that is backed by the Obama Administration and a coalition of Hawaii hotels and restaurants could hurt individual inventors and stymie innovation at the University of Hawaii, local patent lawyers say. The Innovation Act, which is up for consideration in the U.S. Senate just two years after the last major patent reform passed in Congress, is aimed at eradicating so-called patent trolls. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Co. has recently sent out new rules to solar photovoltaic contractors to address safety and reliability concerns on circuits with high amounts of PV, including increasing circuit penetration levels, which could speed up the slowing industry. Pacific Business News.

About one out of every four households in Hawaii don’t speak English at home, according to statistics from Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Civil Beat.

State roundup for March 4. Associated Press.

Oahu

International Market Place has stood in the heart of Waikiki for 57 years, but Tuesday it will start to disappear as demolition work begins to clear the way for a new $350 million open-air shopping mall. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell summed up what the International Marketplace means to the community as "there's no more critical place for our visitors, and when it is redone, it's going to revitalize the heart of Waikiki". Governor Neil Abercrombie, also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony, pointed to the economic impact. Hawaii News Now.

The USS Arizona Memorial has been selected as a design on a new Priority Mail Express stamp to be issued March 13, the U.S. Postal Service announced Monday. Star-Advertiser.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command plans to move into a new $82 million headquarters and lab being built at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam — as the Pentagon and Congress look at restructuring the command and the possibility of moving it to the mainland. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii News Now has learned that the University of Hawaii Medical School disposes of hundreds of pounds of dead research mice each year into the city's sewers -- after cooking them and breaking them down into a soupy liquid.

Construction crews are getting ready to build one of the most challenging parts of Honolulu’s rail project over the H-1 Freeway near the Waipahu exit. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation released a rendering of the area with pillars as high as 35 feet on the freeway, taller than the ones being built in Kapolei. KHON2.

Stakeholders, supporters and opponents of a second 350-foot condominium-hotel tower on Kuhio Avenue are being asked to attend an open, informal meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday hosted by City Council Zoning Chairman Ikaika Anderson in the City Council's second-floor committee room at Honolulu Hale. Star-Advertiser.

So far this year, at least 10 of the mostly yellow tower construction cranes are busy building everything from a Walgreens store to high-rise condominiums in Honolulu. And at least eight more are expected to rise by the end of the year as part of a condo development boom in Kaka­ako. The demand is using up the local supply of 18 cranes and forcing the state's largest crane supplier, Morrow Equipment Co., to ship in more from the mainland. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A new report from the National Parks Service estimates its four parks here generated about $153 million in visitor spending in 2012. The parks — Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Puuhonoua O Honaunau National Historical Park and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site — also recorded about 2.2 million visits annually. West Hawaii Today.

Using a little ingenuity, workers with Hawaii County Civil Defense and Hawaii Police Department managed to avoid a technical problem that might have resulted in the failure of multiple tsunami sirens during Monday’s monthly test. Tribune-Herald.

The historic Koehnen Building in downtown Hilo will soon open its doors for the grand reopening of the Mokupapapa Discovery Center. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Haleakalā National Park on Maui attracted 1,094,668 visitors in 2012, generating $64.4 million in spending, and supporting 736 jobs, according to information compiled in a new economic report released by the National Park Service. Maui Now.

Almost 1.1 million people visited Haleakala National Park in 2012, 14.3 percent more people than the previous year, according to a National Park Service report. Maui News.

Maui County is proposing to drill an exploratory groundwater well in West Maui that officials hope will provide a potential new water source to meet future demand. Maui News.

The Maui County Department of Housing and Human Concerns submitted a draft environmental assessment last month for a 64-unit, multifamily affordable housing project next to the Kulamalu Shopping Center in Pukalani. Maui News.

Kauai
The Kauai County Council passed a bill to assist pet owners whose dogs bark excessively, but also penalize those whose dogs become a continual nuisance. The council passed the bill 5-1 last week after it took up the topic in December saying something needed to be done on the noisy issue. Garden Island.

Waimea resident Arthur Brun has filed to run for a County Council seat in this year’s election. He becomes the third person to declare a candidacy for the seven-member governing body. Garden Island.