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A pod of humpback whales was spotted yesterday morning off the coast of West Maui, the first reported sighting statewide marking the beginning of whale season, according to an official with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.Molokai residents flew to Oahu to protest a federal agency's removal of a nearly blind Hawaiian monk seal from waters off Kaunakakai.A pair of federal lawsuits filed on behalf of special education and other students have the potential to keep some public schools open tomorrow despite the state's plan to furlough teachers on 17 Fridays, attorneys for the plaintiffs said yesterday.At the public school in Manoa where President Barack Obama, parents are planning to join hundreds of parents across the state to protest at the State Capitol on Friday, the first day of public school teacher furloughs.Just last month Hawaii's teachers agreed to take 17 furlough days. But already, an area school is using strategy to help students survive the cuts.Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann yesterday awarded the first construction contract for the city's planned $5.5 billion elevated commuter rail line.Abandoned fishing nets and other derelict fishing gear recovered in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is powering homes on Oahu.Hawaii County should attempt to sell 737 acres in Paauilo mauka to help finance government operations, according to an initial 5-4 vote by a County Council committee Tuesday.Working late into Tuesday evening, the Hawaii County Council Finance Committee was scheduled to get its first look at a critical audit of the county Department of Public Works.
Aerosmith concertgoers said they expected to experience one of the band's best concerts ever Tuesday night, especially since members of the rock band were under court order to perform on Maui after they canceled a concert here two years ago.The Hawaii Supreme Court affirmed Tuesday that Maui County Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala is a resident of Lahaina - not Lanai, the island from which he holds the council's residency seat.A land deal years in the making came to fruition Wednesday when the Kaua‘i County Council unanimously approved a plan that will secure 138 oceanfront acres on the Ninini Coastline near Lihu‘e Airport for public use in perpetuityRoad repairs, flooding and drainage issues, and traffic safety were among the pressing issues addressed when Mayor Billy Kenoi spoke with the residents of Holualoa recently.Sen. Daniel K. Inouye today becomes the third-longest-serving senator in U.S. history, a landmark for the powerful lawmaker who has held a seat in Congress for as long as Hawaii has been a state.
Thanks to El Nino conditions, islanders can expect drier-than-normal conditions during Hawaii's upcoming wet season but more tropical storm activity in the Central Pacific -- with the possibility of hurricanes in the next 40 days, climate experts say.With our state still very much into hurricane season, experts at the National Weather Service are advising residents to be prepared in the event a storm affects our islands.Hurricane Neki continues to strengthen this morning as it churns toward the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.The Office of the U.S. Trustee is challenging the average $2,527.38 hourly rate being charged by a consultant for Hawaiian Telcom's bankruptcy case.Need a marriage license? Unemployment insurance? A camping permit? A copy of your birth certificate? Plan ahead, because these state services will no longer be available on many Fridays.The state on Tuesday released the schedule of furlough days departments will begin taking.Public schools can restore some of the classroom instruction time that could be lost during furlough days for teachers, through a complicated exception process to the state Board of Education.A plan to farm-raise ahi in giant "Oceanspheres" received a positive recommendation from the state, despite some skepticism over how it would work.Hawaii County's lack of program goals, internal controls and effective communication have prevented efficient use of more than $50 million in highway-maintenance money, a recent county audit has found.The Hawaii Supreme Court has affirmed that Maui County Council Member Sol Kahoohalahala is a resident of Lahaina -- not Lanai, the district he represents.It’s always about the money.
Despite the beginning of Hawaii's flash flood season, drought conditions persist in many areas of the state, forcing some Big Island agricultural producers to haul water to thirsty cattle grazing on shriveled pastures or to irrigate crops.The National Weather Service says Tropical Storm Neki is about 825 miles south of Honolulu and moving west-northwest at about 14 mphSee the storm:Three U.S. military researchers from Hawaii will be in the world spotlight this week when they present the results of the largest-ever clinical trial of an AIDS vaccine at a research conference in Paris.With the first furlough of public school teachers set for this Friday, many community child care programs are reporting heavy interest from parents, though some parents say they will probably keep their kids home with grandma or older siblings.NewSpace Entertainment announced today that Bill Cosby will perform live for only two performances at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, Friday, January 15 at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Astronomers, as a group, are not known for throwing block parties. Or parties in general.
The crowd at the Honokaa County Gymnasium was small but enthusiastic Saturday, rallying for greater transparency in the county's land-selling process.The reefs are alive and are damaged when people walk on them, Kaua‘i Save Our Seas President Paul Clark said Sunday.A whitetip reef shark research project has some Big Island photographers literally swimming with sharks in the name of science.
The 29th annual Hawaii International Film Festival launched yesterday at the Sheraton Waikiki's RumFire with a spirited news conference that included Q'orianka Kilcher, star of the much-debated "Barbarian Princess," a feature film premiering to a sold-out Hawaii Theatre tonight.The premiere Friday night is sold out. But the Hawaii International Film Festival has added another showing of the Princess Kailuani Movie, Barbarian Princess.Sempra Generation of San Diego announced Friday that it is taking over the wind generation project at Ulupalakua originally proposed by Shell Wind but in abeyance for several years.More than 30,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine have been shipped to Hawaii, but only the most at-risk people will be eligible for the drug, health officials say.Fire and police officials are investigating an early-morning fire Wednesday that gutted a senior center building under construction at the Hale Mahaolu Ehiku complex in Kihei, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damage.A new contract with the state's largest public workers union will bring "substantial" savings, but not enough to prevent the first round of layoffs for about 750 state workers, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday.The labor savings from collective bargaining will not be enough to close the state's budget deficit, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday, adding that the state would not immediately resort to a second round of layoffs to help make up the difference.While saying she was pleased that the Hawaii Government Employees Association reached a tentative agreement Wednesday with the state and the four counties, Mayor Charmaine Tavares warned that the county faces a steep challenge next fiscal year.The University of Hawaii hopes to see utility savings by closing buildings during the winter and spring breaks if Hawaii Government Employees Association members approve a new two-year contract.The joint venture between go! and Mokulele airlines began Thursday with a few glitchesThe lines for free meals around Hilo just keep getting longer.The rules are different here, several members of the Hawaii County Board of Ethics said Wednesday as they considered Mayor Billy Kenoi's proposal to tighten the ethics code.
For the second time in as many months, the county Board of Ethics has found that Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole broke the county's ethics law.The agreement between the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative and Pacific West Energy to potentially bring a 20-megawatt biomass-to-energy project to Kaua‘i is a “major” advancement and “something we’ve been working on for years,” but “several steps” still remain, KIUC President and CEO Randall Hee said Thursday.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawai'i has put the Hawaii County Council on notice that police helicopter flyovers for marijuana eradication are believed to be in violation of the Hawaii Constitution, the state's medical marijuana law, and the county's Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance.Local advocacy groups are awaiting a response from the Federal Communications Commission on a challenge filed last week to stop a shared services agreement involving three local television stations
Pope Benedict XVI said St. Damien "teaches us to choose the good fight — not those that lead to division, but those that gather us together in unity."At home, perhaps, they would have celebrated with a lu'au. But in Rome, they gathered for a six-course meal, topping off the dinner with a frosted cake that read, "St. Damien."Computer technology is making it harder for Hawai'i residents and businesses to skip out on their taxes.It's the last large piece of undeveloped land in East Oahu and farmers have been working to prevent its development for the last five years.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving ahead with plans to clear munitions from the Makuu Farm Lots.Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs officials said a doctor violated medical ethics standards after investigators concluded he traded drug prescriptions in exchange for sex.Australia's Craig Alexander whittled down yet another seemingly insurmountable deficit, coming from 12 minutes, 13 seconds behind to win his second straight Ironman world championshipNa Hale O Maui, a nonprofit community land trust, received $3 million in federal funds this summer to convert foreclosed homes into affordable housing, and this month it closed its first deal.
People identified as most vulnerable to the H1N1 flu, or swine flu, will find out soon when, where and how they can get vaccinated, state health officials say.Pomare Ltd. dba Hilo Hattie expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Donald B.S. Kang.About 600 people lined up for the grand opening of the first Victoria's Secret in Hawaii on Thursday.As a result of recent declines in bunker fuel prices, Matson announced today that it is decreasing its fuel surcharge by four percentage points, from 28 to 24% for its Hawaii service, and from 29.5 to 25.5% for its Guam/CNMI and Micronesia service, effective October 4.A Kaua‘i judge has ordered a contractor to provide 2,200 cubic yards of rock for a breach in historic Hapa Trail in Po‘ipu.Whether you're stuck in traffic on the H-1 Freeway, or waiting in line at the grocery store, it's easy to get bogged down with life. But there's a place on the leeward coast that gets down to the basics and teaches people how to live off the 'aina.
Puna residents peppered Mayor Billy Kenoi and his Cabinet with questions Wednesday night in a wide-ranging "talk story" session.Thanks to the rapid response and generous support of library users across the state, a portion of the donations to the "Keep Your Library Open!" campaign will be used to keep Mountain View Public and School Library open during October.When incarceration and fines aren't the answer, judges can offer convicted offenders the chance to right their wrongs by making nonmonetary restitution through court-ordered community service.The Maui Planning Commission voted this week to recommend a long-range plan that would set aside more than 3,000 acres for new development over the next 20 years.
Years ago, while sailing off Coast Rica, I saw something so amazing, I sometimes wonder if, having seen pictures of the event, I just dreamed I saw it. But Craig was there and confirms the facts: Floating in the water, looking like so many army helmets, were thousands of olive-green turtles, ranging as far as we could see. Unknowingly, we'd sailed into an arribada.A group of environmental leaders is meeting in Honolulu this week to develop a national policy for protection of oceans and lakes.An abandoned lay gillnet recently removed from Kane'ohe Bay contained a macabre catch of the dead and dying: a 3-foot blacktip shark, slipper lobsters, uhu, kala and other reef species, and a collection of fish skeletons.The state's Environmental Council has suspended all further meetings until the state provides it with a staffer to take minutes and resources for Neighbor Island members to participate.
Preserving Kaua‘i’s natural habitats is “remarkably important,” said science and environmental blogger Jan TenBruggencate, who served as moderator for the Lihu‘e Business Association’s public forum this week.With the economy unable to sprout out of its slump, more and more people are turning to sustainable agriculture. An influx of commercial activity has clogged the streets of the popular Lanikai community and prompted some fed-up residents to seek restrictions on one of those activities: beach weddings.State Rep. Joe Bertram stands out among his straight-laced peers: He's a Hawaii legislator who wears sandals, advocates medical marijuana and same-sex civil unions.The streets were jammed and the musicians were jammin' as thousands partied, island-style, at the 16th KWXX Ho'olaule'a held Saturday night in downtown Hilo.From the air, it was a ribbon-shaped sea of pink. From the ground, it was hundreds of Big Islanders attempting a Guinness World Record to raise breast cancer awareness.A very big and costly pest has placed state lands, Hawaiian home lands, public and private watersheds, golf courses, parks, ranches, farms and home gardens under siege.
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