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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.
Gay & Robinson, Inc. announced Wednesday that “subject to favorable weather, the last sugar cane grown by the company will be processed by the mill in late October.”Kauai Mayor Carvalho, Jr.'s Reaction: "I can't express how saddened I am for the employees and their families and for all of Kauai to see our last remaining sugar plantation close its doors for good. Although we all knew it was coming, that doesn't make it any easier."University of Hawaii at Manoa colleges and departments are being asked to cut up to 6 percent more from their budgets because faculty labor contracts have not yet been settled.The second attempt to pass a bill that would outlaw single-use plastic bags from the Kauai’s retail establishments came up short Wednesday, but frustrated proponents said they remain resolute and confident in their ability to push it through.As coral reefs continue to die off from environmental stresses, including global warming, the Waikiki Aquarium has come up with a unique way to help preserve this pivotal part of the ocean.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will eliminate 28 of its 178 positions as part of a new strategic plan outlined yesterday.A 17-member task force formed to help the city decide the future of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium remains highly divided going into its final meeting today, in which members will vote on whether the 82-year-old landmark should stay or go.
The federal government has issued a revised plan to protect the Laysan duck, the most endangered waterfowl in the country.As the Pacific Tsunami Museum looks back on its 15-year history, it is telling that the first meeting of its board of directors was canceled due to an evacuation and tsunami threat from the Kuril Islands.Economists use a bit of "alphabet soup" to create visual representations of economic downturns and recovery, says Hawaii Pacific University professor Leroy Lane.The Maui Planning Commission denied three petitions to intervene in the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa's $250 million expansion application Tuesday.
Leaders from arts organizations across the state say the loss of 10 employees — about one-third the staff — at the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts would be a destructive move that jeopardizes not just arts programs, but the economy and education as well.It's possible to recycle nearly half of Hawaii Island's garbage, but achieving that higher diversion rate will cost taxpayers plenty, according to a $525,000 study commissioned by Hawaii County.Homeless shelters are seeing an influx of people who have lost their jobs or seen their hours cut — a trend providers warn will only get worse as job losses mount and laid-off workers exhaust their unemployment benefits and savings.A former acting Israeli prime minister will be a featured speaker at Tuesday's 6th Annual International Women's Leadership Conference hosted by Gov. Linda Lingle.Hawaii schools soon could face furlough days -- 17 Fridays with no one working at the schools or drawing a paycheck. The savings would add up to about $5 million for every furlough day.In just over a year's time, the varroa mite, an ectoparasite that feeds on honeybees, has spread from the Hilo Bay area north to Onomea and around south to Pahala, researchers say."We don't want nobody to give huhu," said ILWU business agent Wallace Ishibashi. "We agree to disagree on that issue...."If you felt the earth trembling on Oahu, that was the U.S. Air Force putting on quite a show in Hawaii's skies.
Although she expressed serious concerns and a lack of con- fidence in the state Office of Elections' ability to carry out next year's elections, the head of the Senate's money com- mittee stopped short of saying the agency's chief should be fired.A tentative agreement for public teacher furloughs could shorten the school year by as many as four weeks.A state Board of Education committee rejected a more than 100 percent increase in school bus fares yesterday, but Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto said she will have to look elsewhere for the money that would have been raised, and "that creates challenges."
Hawai'i's health insurance premiums grew an estimated 3.7 times faster than worker earnings during the past decade, according to a new report from a group advocating affordable health care.The state Health Department is seeking a $43,500 fine from the Chevron Hawaii Refinery for alleged water quality violations.Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. signaled his support for a stalled bill that would outlaw plastic checkout bags at retail stores across Kaua‘i, sending a letter to the Kaua‘i County Council that counters business community opposition that caused a deferral last week.
An alternative rail plan advanced by Kamehameha Schools could save money in the short-term but would create safety, traffic and other problems, according to the city.About 30 people spoke up Monday night at a special hearing on a proposed reorganization of the Hawaii County Council, with nearly as many in favor as opposed.Opponents of a County Council reorganization slightly outnumbered supporters Monday evening during a public hearing that brought several first-time testifiers to the microphone.
Maui Planning Commission members were unable to agree where to designate growth boundaries in South Maui, but they did make some progress in Kula.
Margaret Dupre says she is exercising her First Amendment right to express herself by holding psychic readings on the sidewalks of Waikiki.New figures released last week showed roughly one out of every 13 people in Hawai'i goes naked when it comes to health insurance, either not being able to afford the coverage or choosing to do without it.As the economy limps along, Hawai'i's museums are finding it tougher to meet their financial needs. They've slashed budgets by cutting hours, closing collections and laying off staff.With unemployment growing, soup kitchens statewide are overflowing with hungry residents.The Kauai Civil Defense Agency will host the annual, week-long Weapons of Mass Destruction exercise in conjunction with the Hawaii National Guard 93rd Civil Support Team.Hawaii inmates help themselves and the community by building playgroundsWith sunny skies, gentle winds and an ocean backdrop, Hilo was a good place Saturday to go swimming, have a picnic or even rail against the government.For economists, it's yet another number to add to their statistical models. But for 80 of Hokulia's 100 employees whose numbers are up, it's the loss of a paycheck and their livelihoods.Plans for a proposed Maui Regional Public Safety Complex - or jail - in Puunene are moving forward, leaders from the state Public Safety and Accounting and General Services departments said last week.“Keep out of water.” Chronically high levels of enterococcus bacteria — well above state and federally deemed safe levels — was what prompted water quality expert Dr. Carl Berg to organize efforts in permanently displaying those words on a sign near the Hanalei River at the county’s Black Pot Park.
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.
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