Lingle opposes Akaka Bill changes, facelift for Volcano House, boat fees going up, more news

The Lingle administration, which has consistently backed federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, opposes changes to the bill pending before Congress because of "potentially enormous" implications to the relationship between Hawaiians and the state.

The value of Kamehameha Schools' endowment fell by more than $2.2 billion in the wake of the global economic meltdown, prompting some belt tightening at the state's wealthiest charitable trust

Talks between the teachers union and state officials to restore instructional time for students resume today as hope grows that a joint solution can be arrived at before the start of the 2010 Hawaii Legislature.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia scored higher than Hawaii in a study of public health emergency preparedness released today.

The state is turning up the heat on illegal vendors at Kealakekua Bay.

The Department of Health (DOH) confirms that Hawaii did receive some of the child H1N1 vaccines that are now being recalled.

The National Park Service plans an estimated $7.2 million in renovations to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's historic Volcano House hotel, with more than half that amount to be invested by a concessionaire who will take over the facility's contract next year.

The number of fully loaded containers coming into Kawaihae Harbor peaked in 2007, with the equivalent of nearly 99,000 20-foot containers arriving.

One result of switching many state employees' mail-order prescriptions to Florida is that Paradise Pharmacy will close today after 20 years in business in Pukalani.

Technically, Hawai‘i’s small-boat harbors system has been operating contradictory to state law since its inception.

Kilauea on the move, garbage shipments delayed, special session averted, more Hawaii news

The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says that dozens of small lava flows have moved down the pali and across the coastal plain of Kilauea's south flank in the past several weeks.

Everyone who testified Wednesday about the state Department of Land and Natural Resource's proposed rule changes that will allow the department to go forward with its Recreational Renaissance plan did so with reservations or opposition to the plan.

The state Board of Education last night approved 95 schools' requests to convert teacher training days into instructional days, an action that restores as many as six classroom days that would have been lost because of staff furloughs.

Hawaii State Representatives have caucused, and say there will be no special session over furlough days at schools.

About 75,000 children and at least 10,000 staff and faculty members have been vaccinated in this year's seasonal flu school clinics, and state health officials hope to see the turnout repeated in H1N1 school clinics starting next Friday.

A faith-based community group marched on Honolulu Hale yesterday, calling for the mayor to create a policy and a department to deal with a widespread housing crisis on Oahu.

The first shipment of garbage will be sent from Oahu to the mainland about two weeks later than originally planned because the trash facility ran into some startup problems and had to shut down for nearly half its first month of operations.

Furloughs and other economic concerns dominated an informal public meeting Wednesday night with state lawmakers.

A potentially deadlocked Hawaii County Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to let absent Council Vice Chairwoman Emily Naeole be the tiebreaker on two hotly contested measures relating to land sales.

Planning consultant Chris Hart has announced he will run for mayor of Maui County in 2010.

A request from the county Office of Boards and Commissions to destroy audio recordings of meetings after they are transcribed into minutes and approved was withdrawn Wednesday, but could return to the Kaua‘i County Council’s agenda.

Vog blankets state, Honolulu considers tax breaks for homeowners, BOE struggles with funding

Creeping lava is no longer threatening a public viewing area near Kalapana, but officials said there's still plenty of activity from the Kílauea eruption, now in its 27th year.

As light Kona wind persists, an increase in vog has spread from the Big Island across the entire state.

Just when parents thought things in Hawaii's public schools couldn't get much worse, Department of Education officials warned yesterday that "thousands" of DOE employees will be laid off if a federal judge blocks teacher furloughs.

Facing an unprecedented reduction in school days and deep budget cuts, state Board of Education members got more bad news: They need an additional $32 million in the next two years to meet rising student transportation costs.

Facing accusations of making backdoor deals and bending to the will of the mayor, Honolulu City Council Chairman Todd Apo defended his last-minute change of heart that revived a proposal to create a new "homeowners" classification for property tax assessments

Part diplomat, part cheerleader, Governor Linda Lingle is heading to China this Friday for a two-week visit to six cities, including Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

The Waikiki Aquarium is nurturing 20 live coral specimens recently harvested from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, also known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

It's usually difficult to re-create the comforts of home while staying in a hospital for any length of time. It's more difficult still when trying to rest and recover from an illness or injury in an unwelcoming, aged environment that requires beeping equipment, frequent public address system pages and bustling health care workers.

The $250 million expansion of the Grand Wailea Hotel Resort & Spa received a special management area permit Tuesday, with seven ayes and one "reluctant" nay from the Maui Planning Commission.

Maui County's visitor count ticked up by 1.8 percent in September to 134,932, but deep discounting by lodging providers and price cutting by other vendors drove per person per day spending down by 4.9 percent to $167.

The state’s four elected county executives discussed a broad range of issues from agriculture to collective bargaining to the 2010 legislative session at their monthly Hawai‘i Council of Mayors meeting Wednesday.

Pele was right all along, other top Hawaii news

A volcanologist finds parallels between the legends of old Hawaii and modern geologic research

It's no surprise to Lance Taketa, 31, that the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau show Hawai'i has the highest home values and rental costs in the nation.

More cuts are being proposed at the state's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

A debate for decades is rekindled as Honolulu considers allowing more vacation rentals and bed and breakfast businesses. But, some feel the move might be a slippery slope for other development and could be disastrous for their quiet neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa will go before the Maui Planning Commission seeking approval to add 310 lodging units and other amenities that would cost $250 million.

Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry said he has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the Honolulu Police Department’s top cop.