Hawaii surf's up! Wind advisory set, Abercrombie tours tsunami damage, officials downplay radiation threat, Kauai plans garbage fee, more news from the islands

Paddle boarder (c) 2011 All Hawaii News

The late-winter megawaves and big-wave riders delighted, mesmerized and inspired awe in kids and adults — visitors and locals alike. Star-Advertiser.

Lifeguards made 24 rescues and assists and issued 2,375 warnings because of high surf on the North and west shores, Ocean Safety Division officials said. Star-Advertiser.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for all islands starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday through Thursday morning. KHON2.

The state is under a wind advisory today as strong and gusty trade winds whip the islands, forecasters said this morning. Star-Advertiser.

Fear for nuclear fall out is running high in Hawai'i but the state department of health says there is no radiation hazard and the department continues to monitor air quality around the clock. KITV4.

State health officials say there is no increased risk of harmful levels of radiation exposure in Hawaii from Japan, and they're advising the public against taking potassium iodide supplements as a precaution. KHON2.

In a dark warehouse near the Honolulu International Airport, there is a truck that looks like an ambulance but acts more like a mobile biohazards lab. Civil Beat

State health officials said Tuesday there is no reason to believe a plume of nuclear fallout from Japan has invaded Hawaii air space. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie yesterday toured areas of the Big Island and Maui hardest hit by Friday's tsunami and returned to Oahu with an upbeat message that Hawaii remains open for business even as it digs out from muck and debris. Star-Advertiser.

Governor Neil Abercrombie toured several spots on the Big Island and Maui hit hard by the tsunami. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie got a first-hand look at the statewide damage from last week's tsunami and the effort to clean up the mess left behind. KITV4.

In his first trip to the neighbor islands since the tsunami ripped through Hawaii early Friday and caused damages estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, Gov. Neil Abercrombie got some good news. Civil Beat.

Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona looked much different during Governor Abercrombie's visit on Tuesday than it did on Friday. KHON2.

The county says there is no dollar estimate yet of damage to the Big Island caused by Friday's tsunami, although statewide damages are estimated in the "tens of millions" of dollars. Tribune-Herald.

State lawmakers who toured Keehi Lagoon Tuesday say as many as 60 boats may have been sunk when the tsunami hit Hawaii last week. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie made a brief stop at Maalaea Harbor Tuesday afternoon to talk to those affected by Friday's tsunami and assess damage to the small-boat harbor. Maui News.

Civil Defense officials from Oahu surveyed Lahaina and Maalaea harbors as well as areas in Spreckelsville on Monday afternoon to assess damage caused by Friday's tsunami. Maui News.

Kauai County plans to begin charging a fee for residential garbage collection in July. Associated Press.

Navy archeologists are studying human skeletal remains found by a fisherman at Pearl Harbor. Associated Press.

A 12 percent reduction in residential energy use equates to one billion dollars in savings for Hawaii. Hawaii Public Radio.

Land Trust looking to keep North Shore country with Hawaii’s first greenprint. Hawaii Independent.

Thousands of seabirds were killed when the tsunami generated by last week's massive earthquake off Japan flooded Midway, a remote atoll northwest of the main Hawaiian islands, a federal wildlife official said Tuesday. Associated Press.

Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono was born in the Fukushima Prefecture and spent several days worried about the well-being of friends and family there. KITV4.

KCCC prisoners ‘stay put’ through tsunami warning. Garden Island.

ML Macadamia Orchards LP reported a net loss of $1 million, or 14 cents per diluted share, on revenues of $7.6 million for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2010. Pacific Business News

The Molokai Community Plan, last updated in 2001, is on the move after holding community engagement workshops last October. Molokai Dispatch.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie says tourism in Hawaii is likely take a big hit in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunamis that have devastated Japan, as Japanese visitors cancel trips or hold off on future vacation plans. Associated Press.

Last week’s tsunami and earthquake in Japan thwarted plans for a joint concert featuring a Japanese community band and the Honolulu Community Concert Band. Hawaii Reporter.

Lisa Denning went to Kealakekua Bay Sunday to document the debris covering the reef and the cleanup efforts. West Hawaii Today.

Kilauea sends lava through subdivision, surf's up, lawmakers advance casinos, fireworks and legal marijuana, but snuff out cigarettes, more state news

Fires are burning on the Big Island of Hawaii as a surge of lava pulses down slope through as many as six tubes, threatening the last remaining home in a neighborhood scorched by lava flows.

Lava from Kílauea volcano once again has oozed through the mostly abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision, covering portions of the small open areas untouched by previous flows.

A high surf warning is in effect for north and west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and Molokai as well as north facing shores of Maui and west facing shores of the island of Hawaii. The warning is posted through 6:00 PM Thursday.

Marijuana could be sold legally and have its own tax under a proposal approved Tuesday by a state Senate committee.

Two state House committees on Tuesday killed a bill to allow customers to smoke in certain bars.

A bill that could lead to casinos on Hawaiian Home Lands passed out of the state House Judiciary Committee, while a separate measure that would allow a single casino on O'ahu also advanced yesterday.

Prospects for a statewide ban on fireworks dimmed yesterday after a state Senate committee chose to give counties the ability to opt out.

Natural disasters were considered "low-probability events" four years ago when planning began here on a hazard preparedness training program, observed University of Hawaii professor Karl Kim.

Spending and visitor arrivals for the Honolulu Marathon have remained at a good pace, with participants spending more than $100 million for the fifth year in a row, despite the tourism industry languishing in a cool-down period.

Residents hoping to visit the incredible natural wonders around the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay will soon need to apply for a free permit from the state to land their kayaks.

Statistics about infant health and mortality can be a weathervane when it comes to predicting future trends in the health of the general population, a state health official says.

Honolulu real estate developer and broker Chris Lau has been appointed commissioner to sell the Makena Beach and Golf Resort, which was foreclosed last year. The auction probably will be scheduled for April.

A trio of bills that could go a long way toward curtailing unintended land uses and promoting agriculture on the Garden Isle have piled up on the Kaua‘i County Council’s to-do list.