Pro Bowl to move to Orlando, University of Hawaii seeks to import zika virus, Kauai police chief has no official job description, Hawaii Democrats oppose super delegates at rally, new judge coming to Thirty Meter Telescope case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Aloha Stadium, courtesy Bobak Ha'Eri

It's official: The Pro Bowl is moving from Hawaii to Orlando. Hawaii News Now.

Three people with knowledge of the negotiations have told The Associated Press that the NFL is moving the Pro Bowl from Honolulu to Orlando this season. Associated Press.

The Board of Agriculture is expected to vote today on whether to grant the University of Hawaii a permit to import the Zika virus to Hawaii for animal vaccine trials as concerns mount locally and internationally over the spread of the virus and its ability to cause microcephaly, a devastating birth defect.  Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Democrats sent a message to their national party to stop using super delegates for the presidential election. KITV4.

Bernie’s Backers Prevail At Democratic State Convention. Despite party elite’s support of Hillary Clinton, Hawaii Democrats elected a party chair who supports Bernie Sanders. Civil Beat.

Despite the growing evidence that something is chronically amiss, the Legislature has repeatedly failed to act on police reform. Civil Beat.

At least one prominent Democrat has opted out of the race for the urban Honolulu congressional district now that Colleen Hanabusa has confirmed she is running. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission has suspended Young Brothers Ltd.’s request to increase its general rate on Thursday, according to public documents. Pacific Business News.

State regulators said they plan to host public hearings in July as part of an investigation of Young Brothers Ltd.’s application to increase interisland shipping rates by roughly 4 percent. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council is poised to reject funding for a plan to upgrade and renovate Thomas Square that has drawn mixed reviews from community members. Star-Advertiser.

A nonprofit effort to purchase and preserve the last major freshwater spring in Honolulu with a surface connection to the ocean has run into a jam after neighboring homeowners expressed concerns over their privacy. Star-Advertiser.

Dr. Randall F. Holcombe, chief medical officer for cancer in the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, has been chosen as the next director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Civil Beat.

A state agency has fined a Honolulu hotel, the Kahala Hotel & Resort, for a New Year's Eve fireworks show launched from state land. Associated Press.

D.G. “Andy” Anderson reopened the former Jameson’s by the Sea restaurant in March as Haleiwa Beach House despite warnings from the city not to because renovation work was done without building permits. Star-Advertiser.


Hawaii

The University of Hawaii released a progress report last week regarding implementation of Gov. David Ige’s 10-point plan for Mauna Kea. Ige gave UH, which manages 11,288 acres on the mountain, the directives a year ago following large protests against construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County’s wastewater treatment plant in Hilo has a mold problem. An administrative building, which includes a laboratory and break room for wastewater employees, has been mostly vacated after mold was found behind the walls and ceiling. Tribune-Herald.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources gave final approval Friday for a marine reserve at Kaupulehu, where a 10-year moratorium will be placed on the harvest of fish along a 3.6-mile stretch of coastline. West Hawaii Today.

State considers permanent ohia transport ban. Tribune-Herald.

Puna Councilman Greggor Ilagan is seeking $5.5 million to put a park in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Ilagan will ask the rest of the council this week to add the project to the county’s capital budget. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Democratic Rep. Lynn DeCoite has filed as a candidate to retain the 13th House District seat she was appointed to in February 2015 to fill the remainder of the term of the late Rep. Mele Carroll. Maui News.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a defense spending bill for fiscal 2017 that includes $11.7 million for the Maui Space Surveillance System, according to an announcement from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Maui News.

Kauai

It was revealed by Kauai police commissioners on Friday that three job descriptions for the chief of police are unofficial. Garden Island.

The Planning Commission sided with North Shore residents Tuesday, unanimously voting to change the proposed location of two classroom portables at Hanalei Elementary School. Garden Island.

The fate of two transient vacation rentals operating in Kekaha will not be decided until June. During a Planning Commission Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to defer taking action on two TVRs to give the operators, Ian and Anna Cronshaw, time to argue their case. Garden Island.

Aaryl Kaneshiro, elected to the Kauai County Council in 2014, filed his nomination papers for re-election. Garden Island.

Honolulu unveils first rail cars; Legislature kills trespassing, crosswalk, media access, smoking in cars bills; dengue and Zika protections advance; Hawaii County Democrats want Roundup ban; Coco Palms developers get money for project; 'Styrofoam' ban looming, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell in new rail cars, courtesy mayor's office

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation unveiled the first four-car train on the tracks at the rail operation center next to Leeward Community College today. Star-Advertiser.

Local island leaders and rail advocates got a tour Monday of Honolulu’s first public transit train — a transportation option that they’re betting thousands of Oahu commuters will eventually use to avoid daily gridlock heading in and out of town. Star-Advertiser.

Here’s A 360-Degree View Inside Honolulu Rapid Transit’s First Train Car. What does $6.6 billion and counting buy you in Honolulu? This, for a start. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation unveiled the city's first train car on Monday at the rail operations center next to Leeward Community College. Pacific Business News.

The media got its first look at the first train for Oahu's rail project. KITV4.

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The Senate leadership plans to kill a bill backed by Gov. David Ige aimed at making it easier for state officials to enforce criminal trespass laws on state land. That’s because senators from Hawaii island expressed constituents’ concerns that the measure targeted protesters of the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope project. Star-Advertiser.

Among the many bills that died Friday, the last day of conference committee at the Hawaii Legislature, was a measure that would have forbidden smoking in a motor vehicle when people under 18 are present. Civil Beat.

The state legislature will have marathon floor sessions Tuesday to pass bills on final reading before adjournment May 5th. These bills include the executive budget and a few controversial measures. Hawaii Public Radio.

Gov. David Ige joined U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono on Monday in urging the release of emergency federal funding that could bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hawaii to prevent a major Zika virus outbreak. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Hawaii Gov. David Ige joined forces on Monday to continue the fight against the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Civil Beat.

Rep. Gregg Takayama's legislation, House Bill 1344, would have allowed journalists and newscasters to cover a hazardous situation, including accessing areas closed by emergency order from the governor or county mayors. But Takayama’s conference committee counterpart, Sen. Clarence Nishihara, told him Friday that the bill would be deferred — that is, killed. Civil Beat.

Airbnb visitors spent more per day than guests of any other accommodations category in Hawaii, a total of $353 million last year, according to an economic impact study conducted by Hospitality Advisors LLC on behalf of Airbnb. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii lawmakers have advanced a bill that would allow online brokers such as Airbnb to collect taxes on behalf of people advertising private rentals on the websites, but they removed part of the proposal that would have targeted illegal camping ads by requiring online brokers to verify the legality of their listings. Associated Press.

Hawaii may waste less food per person than any other U.S. state; but we still wind up throwing out, or wasting, about a quarter of our food supply, according to a recent research report. Civil Beat.

A rare seabird whose population was wiped out of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is now hatching healthy chicks on the atoll. Associated Press.

Oahu

Open-government supporters say the Honolulu Ethics Commission is in shambles. There are critical staff shortages and a board keeping close watch on its executive director. KHON2.

The University of Hawaii Sold Three Marine Mammals To Sea Life Park Without A Permit. More than seven months after the transfer, state officials retroactively granted the required permit. Civil Beat.

The president and CEO of Honolulu's Bishop Museum is resigning amid a state investigation into whether he illegally gave himself a loan of more than $14,000. Associated Press.

As graduation approaches for local high school students, transgender advocates are pushing the Hawaii Department of Education for policies to prevent incidents such as one last year in which a transgender student at Kahuku High School said she wasn’t allowed to  participate in her graduation ceremony. Civil Beat.

Proposals aimed at creating a dedicated fund for the Honolulu Zoo and kick-starting development of a multistory parking structure are scheduled for votes at the City Council’s monthly meeting Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Authorities struggle to curb drag racing at historic Ewa Field. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council is considering approving a $1 million settlement in a case involving a 2-year-old boy who was permanently injured during a city-sponsored Easter Egg hunt in 2008. Civil Beat.

A federal jury awarded a 19-year-old woman and her family $810,000 Monday after it found Hawaii's public school system failed to protect her from a classmate's sexual assault in 2012. Hawaii News Now.

A jury has found that Hawaii’s public school system failed to protect a special education student who says she was raped by a classmate. Associated Press.

Hawaii

One County Council member wants to study the use of so-called “Styrofoam” containers on the island, while another council member wants to ban them outright. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii senators have scheduled a last-minute public hearing Wednesday on a proposed resolution that calls on the Department of Land and Natural Resources to “engage in earnest negotiations” for the state to acquire nearly 8,000 acres in south Kona. Civil Beat.

During a party convention on April 30, Hawaii County Democrats passed a resolution to stop Hawaii government from spraying the glyphosate herbicide in public places.Big Island Video News.

Calling in the big guns; National Guard troops assist in dengue fight by removing tires. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Developers of the proposed Hoku Nui Maui community planned on 258-acres in Piʻiholo seek approval for a sustainable agricultural project with components that include affordable housing and a hula hālau. Maui Now.

Environmental Coordinator to Discuss Coqui Frogs, Zika at Kiwanis Meeting. Maui Now.

Jerome "Tiger" Metcalfe, a candidate for the Maui County Council's South Maui residency seat, will be holding a series of events this month and will be accepting donations of canned food for the Maui Food Bank along with campaign donations. Maui News.

In a follow-up to our March 6th MAUIWatch interview with Kai Pelayo, the new Monsanto Maui community affairs director, Pelayo forwarded a 32-page update to the company’s Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Maui for the year 2015. Maui Watch.

A Maui-based program that allows students to study under award-winning local musicians is now in the running for awards of its own. Maui News.

Kauai

Coco Palms developers have secured funding for demolition, representatives reported Monday. Garden Island.

Honolulu-based Coco Palms Hui LLC went before the Kauai County Planning Commission on Monday to present an update on the Coco Palms project. Pacific Business News.

After nearly four months, today marks the re-opening of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, just in the nick of time for their annual Lighthouse Day celebration. Garden Island.

Hawaii lawmakers beef up budget to fight dengue and zika, Hanabusa takes over board of struggling Honolulu rail project, Maui homeless plan heads to court, thousands of octopus born at new facility, Tulsi mum on Sanders aspirations, cancer center future uncertain, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Worker sprays for dengue mosquitoes, courtesy Visionary Video

House and Senate negotiators agreed Thursday to allocate $1.27 million to help combat dengue fever, the Zika virus and other disease threats — funding that would allow the state to hire 20 additional people for vector control and other tasks. Star-Advertiser.

House and Senate lawmakers resumed state budget negotiations Thursday, agreeing to add 20 positions and $1.27 million for the state Department of Health’s fight against the dengue fever outbreak on the Big Island and the threat of the Zika virus. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers have agreed to a large increase in budget funding for vector control staffing in Hawaii, driven by concerns over mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and Zika. Big Island Video News.

The state Department of Health Vector Control Branch will receive a boost in funding after an agreement made between House and Senate conferees while discussing the state budget on Thursday. Hawaii News Now.

In 2014, 87 percent of Hawaii households had a computer, and 81 percent of Hawaii households subscribed to broadband internet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Star-Advertiser.

While U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard “felt the Bern,” and broke party ranks by resigning as vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee in February in order to back Bernie Sanders’ bid for president, Sanders’ camp has been quiet as far as whether Gabbard would join the Vermont senator as his running mate, should he win the nomination. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

As the Honolulu rail agency’s new board chairwoman, former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa must now help guide the largest public works project in state history as it faces growing financial uncertainty and eroding public confidence. Star-Advertiser.

Former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa was named Thursday chairwoman of the board for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, a semi-autonomous city agency in charge of building Honolulu’s $6.6 billion, 20-mile rail line. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation or HART increased its construction funding request by more than 2.3 billion dollars for the next fiscal year. Hawaii Public Radio.

It’s no secret Oahu’s rail transit project struggles with money problem. Now, for the first time, the board overseeing the project could consider shortening the route. KHON2.

Hawaii News Now has learned that the Honolulu Board of Water Supply will have to move parts, if not large segments, of a large water main to make way for the $6.5 billion rail transit project.

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Six months after a mainland consultant issued a report outlining ways to turn around the financially struggling University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the Board of Regents has yet to take action, adding to lingering uncertainty around the research facility’s future. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii Cancer Center has selected one of its professors and program directors to be its new interim associate director as the current executive transitions back to the adjacent UH John A. Burns School of Medicine. Pacific Business News.

Among proposed improvements at Ala Moana Regional Park are a widened walkway fronting the beach, more grass across the sprawling campus and new nonvehicular entry at the end of Piikoi Street. Star-Advertiser.

The clean-energy giant SunEdison, which owns a trio of incomplete renewable energy projects on Oahu, filed for bankruptcy Thursday. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Kanaloa Octopus Farm, a recent startup at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in North Kona, on Wednesday welcomed its first batch of cephalopod larvae, said Jake Conroy, president and CEO of the first commercial octopus farm in the U.S. The venture, which got underway in the summer of 2015, is looking to successfully rear octopus on land first for aquariums and someday supply the market. West Hawaii Today.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved a recommendation Thursday to hire Nevada community college administrator Rachel Solemsaas for the open post at HCC. Solemsaas will replace outgoing interim chancellor Joni Onishi. Tribune-Herald.

Three years after Ka ʻUmeke Kaʻeo held its first high school graduation, the Big Island charter school has announced plans to temporarily suspend its high school program for the coming school year. Civil Beat.

After years of infighting between apartment owners, and trouble paying its bills, Country Club Condos is hoping to renew its image — starting with a new name. Now called Oceanfront 121, the association-operated building at 121 Banyan Drive is advertising itself as a “healthy place to stay and live” on Hilo’s waterfront, with rooms starting at $700 a month. Utilities are included. Tribune-Herald.

A Honolulu attorney is asking the state to find another hearings officer to oversee the next contested case for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope over concerns of a conflict of interest. Associated Press.

Maui

The Maui County Council will be holding a public hearing on property tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chambers in the Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku. Maui News.

A proposal to build a campground for transient homeless in Lahaina is headed to 2nd Circuit Court after the state Land Use Commission unanimously decided Wednesday that it could not reconsider its previous ruling on the project's requirements. Maui News.

House and Senate conference committee members are set this morning to take up three bills that aim to help public hospital employees facing possible job disruptions when operations of Maui region facilities transfer this summer to the private Maui Health System, a Kaiser Foundation Hospitals LLC. Maui News.

First it was in, then it was out, and now it’s back in again. Alexander & Baldwin, the 145-year-old real estate developer and agriculture business, could be covered under House Bill 2501, a contentious water rights measure making its way through the Hawaii Legislature. Civil Beat.

Completed ballots for the Philippines national elections may be dropped off at the Maui County Business Resource Center in the Maui Mall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, according to the county Department of Housing and Human Concerns Immigrant Services Division. Maui News.

Kauai

The police commission is investigating the Kauai Police Department after officers obtained a blood draw from a 25-year-old man involved in a car accident even though a judge denied a warrant request. Garden Island.

Mahina Anguay, principal of Waimea High School, won the Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award Thursday Night. Garden Island.

Waimea High School Principal Mahina Anguay, who has linked classroom learning with real-life projects for students, received the $25,000 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Senate panel approves $28.4M for Hawaiian Home Lands, committee announced to select medical marijuana dispensary vendors, cigarette tax hikes mulled, Thirty Meter Telescope builders check out Canary Islands, Maui water rights at issue, zika in Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Home Lands homestead © 2016 All Hawaii News

Heeding the complaints of homesteaders and a Hawaii judge, a state Senate committee on Monday agreed to fund the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in the amount of $28.4 million for the current fiscal year. Civil Beat.

The state Department of Health on Monday released the names of a five-member panel that will help review and select those vying for the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary licenses. The committee is made up of University of Hawaii professor H. David Bess, retired Hawaii Supreme Court Justice James E. Duffy Jr., state Department of Agriculture Deputy Director Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, state Office of Health Care Assurance chief Keith R. Ridley and John Fisher III, a pharmacologist and toxicologist from Alabama. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Health has announced the five members of a committee that will review applications to grow and sell medical marijuana in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

The number of registered medical marijuana applicants has surged more than 14 percent since the Department of Health first began administrating the program in Jan. 2015. The DOH said the number could more then double after improvements made to the process last month. Pacific Business News.

A bill is circulating in state legislature that could drastically cut funding to Hawaii's 14 community health centers. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii officials are hoping a bill in the state Legislature that would raise the excise tax on cigarettes and little cigars will help the UH Cancer Center stay afloat despite recurring budget deficits. Star-Advertiser.

State officials contend that drastic changes must be made if the University of Hawaii Cancer Center is to survive, though they have yet to gain consensus on a single plan to lift the organization out of its financial hole. Star-Advertiser.

SB-2561 would create a new task force headed up by the Lieutenant Governor.  The goal:  facilitate the construction of 22,500 affordable rental units over the next 10 years. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Waianae residents are hoping the Honolulu Police Department’s newest substation will discourage crime and bring a larger police presence to the Leeward Coast. Star-Advertiser.

The City Council has adopted a resolution that urges the administration to extend the hours lifeguards are on duty. Star-Advertiser.

The rapid development of residential high-rises in Kaka’ako has resulted in legislative solutions to long-standing issues like regulating private roads in the neighborhood. Hawaii Public Radio.

It’s been a year and a half since Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell unveiled a proposal to require every large new residential development on Oahu to include low- or moderately-priced units. Civil Beat.

Construction is slated to begin next month on the Keauhou Lane midrise apartment rental housing project in Kakaako reserved for residents with moderate incomes. Star-Advertiser.

Kamehameha Schools’ $90 million Keauhou Lane mixed-use project is scheduled to break ground next month in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, the developer said Monday.Pacific Business News.

The Honolulu fire station in Makiki is off limits indefinitely because of what may have been lurking underneath the floor. Officials say they’re testing the building for asbestos. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Thirty Meter Telescope’s leaders don’t appear to be wasting much time finding an alternative site for the next-generation observatory, if a recent post on social media is any indication. On Monday, photos showing TMT’s board members and project leader visiting observatories on the Canary Islands were posted on the telescope’s Facebook page, helping stir speculation about where they might look to if they give up on building on Mauna Kea. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County mayor is proving a popular job description, with a baker’s dozen would-be candidates pulling nomination papers for the office more than two months before the filing deadline. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Opponents turned out in force Monday to testify against a bill that would allow Alexander & Baldwin to temporarily hold on to the rights to millions of gallons of water it diverts each day from East Maui streams. Star-Advertiser.

In a move toward using less paper, the Maui County Council will be streaming video and legislative files of Maui County Council meetings conducted in the Council Chamber. Maui Now.

Maui County Council members have authorized the acquisition of the Waiakoa Gym, better known as Kula Gym, for $1.2 million from the Maui Federal Credit Union. Maui News.

Kauai

A Kauai resident who recently returned from Latin America has been infected with the Zika virus. Garden Island.

Zika Case Reported On Kauai May Still Be Infectious. Big Island Video News.

As transportation frustrations across Kauai continue to rise regarding traffic congestion and deteriorating road conditions, a growing number of state and local officials are addressing the local concerns. Garden Island.