Hawaii agriculture gets boost, Abercrombie signs animal cruelty bills, state reacts to gay marriage rulings, former Kauai state rep sentenced for rock theft, Big Island mayor vows to build waste-to-energy, beaches rank fourth, GMO bill advances, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signs animal cruelty bill, courtesy photo

During a bill-signing ceremony enlivened by wagging tails and pooch-themed puns, Gov. Neil Abercrombie enacted six laws aimed at curtailing animal cruelty. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s agriculture industry is set to establish a strong position in world markets with new laws to help farmers, Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Wednesday. Abercrombie signed seven agriculture-related bills during a ceremony at the state Capitol. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill Wednesday that will provide coffee farmers with funding to combat the coffee berry borer beetle. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaiian Humane Society calls it a great day for animals and those who care for them. Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed six new laws on Wednesday to help protect them. KHON2.

A federal lawsuit challenging Hawaii laws reserving marriage for heterosexual couples could provide the U.S. Supreme Court a chance to definitively rule on whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage. Star-Advertiser.

Supporters of same-sex marriage rallied at the State Capitol to celebrate the latest step toward making such unions legal in Hawaii. But they noted that it was still just a step. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii House Speaker Joseph Souki says he will meet with fellow Democrat lawmakers to discuss the ramifications of the Supreme Court's rulings on gay marriage. Associated Press.

Right now Governor Neil Abercrombie doesn't know if more gay marriage legislation is required or what it should say. Hawaii News Now.

The drive for gay marriage in Hawaii will intensify after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that gay couples legally married under state laws are entitled to federal tax and health care benefits. Star-Advertiser.

Given the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions Tuesday to overturn a ban on federal benefits for same-sex couples and to effectively allow same-sex marriages in California, what does this mean for Hawaii? Civil Beat.

Hawaii ranks fourth among 30 states for water quality at its beaches — up from seventh in 2011 but down from third in 2010, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. West Hawaii Today.

It should go without saying that there's a conflict of interest if you can apply for a job and then have a direct say in whether you get the position. But that's apparently okay in certain parts of Hawaii government. Or it was until Wednesday when the Hawaii State Ethics Commission overturned two opinions in favor of a new one requiring the members of any state board or commission to resign before applying for a job that they are in charge of filling. Civil Beat.

Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is looking to fill two top staff positions. Amy Asselbaye, her Hawaii-based chief of staff, is departing to devote more time to her work at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Education is supposed to put a laptop or tablet in the hands of every public school student, and it has $8 million to figure out how to make the digital device initiative work during the coming school year. But the department appears to be off to a rocky — and rushed — start. And it’s shaping up as an $8-million gamble that might lead to the loss of many times more. Civil Beat.

Hospital visits and costs associated with mental illness soared between 2009 and 2012 after the state substantially cut mental health services. New statistics released Wednesday by Hawaii Health Information Corp. showed overall increases in emergency room visits, hospital admissions and charges statewide. Star-Advertiser.

A University of Hawaii Hawaiian language instructor is translating English-language classics into Hawaiian. R. Keao NeSmith has translated two well-known Lewis Carroll books from the 1800s for Evertype Publishing in Ireland, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.” Associated Press.

State briefs 6.27. Associated Press.

Oahu

Less than a week after Mayor Kirk Caldwell and City Council leaders closed the book on a contentious 2014 budget season, they are agreeing to look at ways to raise more revenues. City Budget Director Nelson Koyanagi told the Council Budget Committee on Wednesday that the administration is amenable to developing more ways for the city to generate additional revenues to pay for services. Star-Advertiser.

What effects will transit spending have on the city budget? A forum this Saturday will examine this question. Hawaii Independent.

Honolulu Police officers have stepped up their presence in the Manoa area, incorporating plain clothes officers into routine patrols, after an up tick in reported crimes. Hawaii News Now.

There’s no question there’s money being generated by thousands of tourists who pay to park and then visit Hanauma Bay. But exactly how much cash is not easily discovered. KHON2.

Demolition recently started on part of the former Honolulu Advertiser building, which will be developed into a $200 million high-rise affordable condominium tower. Pacific Business News.

Sales were strong last week for condominium-hotel units in a planned Ritz-Carlton tower in Waikiki slated to start construction this summer, so why not build another one? That’s what the developer of the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach is considering. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

As his newly appointed Environmental Management director told a county panel the Hilo landfill could last another 12 years, Mayor Billy Kenoi vowed Wednesday that a waste-to-energy facility will be “on the ground” by the time he leaves office in 3 1/2 years. West Hawaii Today.

Members of Hawaii Island’s gay and lesbian community said that Wednesday’s Supreme Court rulings in favor of gay marriage mark important milestones in a fight that they think is still far from over. Tribune-Herald.

Stumps are all that remained Wednesday of four jacaranda trees and the rest are in danger of being cut down unless the state Department of Transportation changes its mind, said several concerned Big Island residents and Imua Landscaping Co., the contractor doing the tree removal and trimming. West Hawaii Today.

Organizers of Hawaii Island’s Fourth of July fireworks displays in Hilo and Kona say that the shows will go on, despite both sides struggling to raise funding. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The embattled Wailuku Main Street Association Inc./Tri-Isle Main Street Resource Center soon may be dissolved following a motion filed Tuesday in 2nd Circuit Court by the state Attorney General's Office. Maui News.

Lance Taguchi is Maui County's new auditor. His appointment to the position was confirmed Tuesday when the Maui County Council unanimously adopted a resolution appointing the current county deputy clerk to the new position. Maui News.

Mala boat ramp and the two loading docks at the West Maui boat launch facility will be closed off for about 60 days starting Oct. 14, as agreed upon at a public meeting Tuesday afternoon. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council unanimously voted 7-0 Wednesday night to hold a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to regulate pesticides and GMOs by agricultural farms. Star-Advertiser.

A former state representative was sentenced to community service Wednesday for illegally receiving rocks from a historic preserve and heiau site in 2011. Roland Diaz Sagum III was sentenced to 200 hours of community service. His request to serve the sentence with the Royal Order of Kamehameha was approved by the court. Garden Island.

Hawaii Legislature enters final week, minimim wage hike dies, PACS must name top campaign donors, state employee firings secret, Hawaii needs more hotels, officials warn of Kauai drownings, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Legislature conference committee, courtesy photo

Committees of negotiators in the Hawaii Legislature have approved funding for several new initiatives, including proposals to revitalize emergency funds, create a new school readiness program and establish a new entrepreneurship initiative. Associated Press.

After discussing a slew of election-related bills this session, lawmakers agreed on a bill that will require political action committees to disclose in all advertisements the names of the top three donors that contributed to the message. Star-Advertiser.

Minimum Wage Hike Legislation Dies in Conference Committee. Hawaii Reporter.

The Media Council of Hawaii has sent a letter to all Hawaii state senators and representatives urging them to vote against House Bill 622, the weakened media shield law. Civil Beat.

Some federal and state officials are supporting the idea of shortening the permits process for work on traditional Hawaiian fishponds to encourage more restorations. Star-Advertiser.

State officials say they've recently discovered a conflict in state law that requires them to leave the public in the dark about government employees who are guilty of certain types of misconduct. Civil Beat.

In the past two years, state workers have been suspended and fired for a range of misconduct, including harassment, theft and workplace violence. Civil Beat.

By 2030, more than a third of Hawaii residents will be neighbor islanders, a reality that observers predict will almost certainly have repercussions big and small for everything from the state’s economy to its politics. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii interests are significantly scaling back on federal lobbying, the result of changes in the political landscape that are making it tougher to get issues through Congress and secure dwindling federal dollars. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley says that the state needs to provide an even more diverse mix of hotels to accommodate visitors to the Islands, including those from China. Pacific Business News.

Oahu
A new proposal before the Honolulu City Council would add bus stops to the growing number of places a person can't smoke on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

For the first time in more than 60 years, fireworks didn't light up the night in Kailua last Fourth of July. Now a group of residents is raising money to make sure it doesn't happen again. Hawaii News Now.

An excess of fuel inside of a boiler is to blame for a stubborn fire that burned early Monday morning at the Pacific Biodiesel facility on Sand Island, according to sources at the scene. Hawaii News Now.

Ewa Beach residents are now officially ready for a natural disaster, said the National Weather Service. After the 2011 tsunami those living in the town felt that they were not fully prepared, so they took things into their own hands. KITV4.

Kahaluu Elementary principal selected as principal of the year. KHON2.

Hawaii

Just a few weeks after Mayor Billy Kenoi warned County Council members he was considering a property tax increase, the council will vote on forming a task force to consider the county’s real property tax rates and rules. West Hawaii Today.

It sometimes rains on the Veterans Day Parade parade in downtown Hilo, but never like this. The popular, annual November parade won’t be held this year due to the construction along Kamehameha Avenue, a key part of the six-year-old parade route, said the parade’s chairman and founder, Dan Kama. Tribune-Herald.

Leaders of the specialty coffee industry are traveling to the state’s largest agricultural district in May to learn about award-winning Ka‘u coffee. Tribune-Herald.

A lease of state land to a Colorado man nearly two decades ago has turned out to be a nightmare for Hawaii’s taxpayers. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui County announced its selection of Anaergia Services of Carlsbad, Calif., for the county's Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project that will divert roughly 85 percent of waste from the Central Maui Landfill and produce renewable fuels. Maui News.

Honolua's Lipoa Point is one of few areas left in West Maui that has resisted commercial development, and now that state lawmakers have alloted $20 million toward its preservation, it is likely to stay that way. Maui News.

Maui received an "A" grade for air quality - the best in the state - in an American Lung Association national report that may raise the eyebrows of residents who have complaints about cane burning and dust from fallow fields. Maui News.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa announced the selection of Anaergia Services for the county’s proposed Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project. Maui Now.

Kauai

A spate of visitor deaths this year has officials wanting to educate tourists about the dangers. Associated Press.

Residents may be puzzled as to why Census workers are knocking on their doors — three years after the last decennial count, and seven years until the next one. Two basic Census Bureau surveys are the American Community Survey and the Community Population Survey. Participants respond quarterly for two consecutive years to household questions in one and employment or job search information in the other. Garden Island.

Dive tournament targets invasive species. Garden Island.

Hawaii military buildup delayed, new contract for Hawaii teachers, audit raps Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii mayor mulls waste-to-energy incinerator, Pfleuger manslaughter trial date to be set in dam failure, Ellison not only billionaire with an island, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Marines at Pohakuloa Training Area Hawaii (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

The Marine Corps’ top brass has told Congress that sequestration could slow the Marines movement from Okinawa to Guam, a move that is expected to also bring as many as 2,700 additional Marines to Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

Public school teachers voted Wednesday to approve a $330 million, four-year contract that will tie their pay raises in part to student performance. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s public school teachers overwhelmingly approved a new labor agreement on Wednesday night, their first in nearly two years since their last contract expired. Associated Press.

A year after teachers rejected their last tentative labor contract, the moment has finally arrived: pay raises and improved healthcare benefits are on their horizon. Civil Beat.

Hawaii's public school teachers have overwhelmingly approved a new contract. Hawaii News Now.

The failure of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to adequately address a growing loan delinquency problem among its Native Hawaiian beneficiaries poses a solvency risk to the agency, according to the state auditor. Star-Advertiser.

Lax management, millions of dollars in delinquent loans and a reluctance to terminate lessees who are chronically behind in payments. That's the picture painted by an audit released Wednesday of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and the commission charged with overseeing a program that is supposed to help thousands of Native Hawaiians. KITV4.

State lawmakers are discussing whether to fold a proposed school readiness program into the state Department of Human Services until voters can decide whether the state should use public money for private preschool. Star-Advertiser.

Nine state lawmakers were tapped this week to resolve significant differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill to make Hawaii’s shield law permanent. Civil Beat.

State legislators are moving toward creating a task force to consider the implications of privatizing some of the state’s public hospitals. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii’s congressional delegation this week pushed for more support of a measure that would provide funds to train health care providers in rural areas. West Hawaii Today.

New Immigration Proposal Is Mixed Bag For Hawaii Families. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents is looking at consulting more closely with the UH administration on salaries for new hires. Star-Advertiser.

The Democratic Party of Hawaii is looking to sue the state because it doesn't like the way primary elections are run. Civil Beat.

Taxpayers have until Monday, April 22 to file their Hawaii state taxes this year. Maui Now.

Oahu

The City and County of Honolulu is moving ahead with its new $68.9 million Joint Traffic Management Center building at the corner of South King Street and Alapai Street near the recently completed $20 million, 411-stall parking structure. Pacific Business News.

The city likely won't be able to begin enforcement of a new "sidewalk nuisance" law until the summer, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Tuesday after the City Council unanimously approved the bill. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council passed a bill yesterday aimed at clearing public sidewalks.  The unanimous vote by the 9-member Council advances the measure to the Mayor who is expected to sign it into law. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Honolulu City Council approved George Atta as the new director of the department of Permitting and Planning Wednesday. But as recently as two months ago, George Atta's name was on a preliminary draft environmental review for the New Hope Leeward Church project  planned for Kunia farmland. KITV4.

The Honolulu City Council today adopted Bill 3 Relating to the Disposal of Weeds, Garbage, Trash and Waste from Property. The bill raises the maximum fine for property owners who don't maintain their properties which include the non-removal of trash and overgrown weeds. Hawaii Reporter.

#noonecares. That harsh tweet from University of Hawaii athletic director Ben Jay has sparked a lot of chatter about the poor state of facilities on campus. KHON2.

Hawaii

A waste-to-energy incinerator has moved up as the best solution to Hawaii County’s mounting garbage problem. West Hawaii Today.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs could be getting into the geothermal business. OHA’s Board of Trustees today will discuss whether to partner with Honolulu-based Innovations Development Group as it seeks to win a contract for providing up to 50 megawatts of geothermal electricity to island residents. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii lawmakers on Wednesday cleared the financial hurdles out of the way for Kulani Correctional Facility to reopen on the Big Island. Civil Beat.

Highway 137, AKA the "Red Road," is red no more. Tribune-Herald.

Proponents of making the trail leading to Papaikou Mill beach public urged Hawaii County Council members on Tuesday to get the process rolling by adding funding for an appraisal to the county budget. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The budget for the staff and operation of the Mayor’s Office is proposed to rise 15 percent next fiscal year — including two new administrative assistant positions — according to presentations made before the County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee on Monday. Civil Beat.

Two of the three sets of moving walkways in the Kahului Airport terminal will be fully operational again by the end of May, a state Department of Transportation official said. Maui News.

Despite only light winds passing through Maui’s Central Valley last Thursday, the wind turbines at Kaheawa Wind Power were turning and cranking out electricity. Maui News.

Kauai

A state judge is scheduled Thursday to set the date for retired auto dealer James Pflueger’s trial on seven counts of manslaughter for each of the seven people swept to their deaths when the Ka Loko dam breached on Kauai seven years ago. Star-Advertiser.

Taxpayers’ money thrown into trash studies just keeps accumulating. A $1.8 million contract with off-island consultant AECOM to produce an environmental impact study for the island’s next landfill includes two updates to the Kaua‘i County Council — one was held in January, and the next is scheduled for later this year. Garden Island.

Kauai Activist Finds A Way To Make The Streets Safer. Civil Beat.

The first of two defendants accused of killing a goat was sentenced to felony probation in 5th Circuit Court Wednesday. Garden Island.

Lanai

Larry Ellison, the CEO of Oracle Corp. and majority owner of Lanai, isn’t the only billionaire to own an island. Pacific Business News.