Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Trains, planes and Superferries, legislative budgets, dead whale and other top Hawaii news of the day


The M/V Huakai, the high-speed ferry that never fulfilled its purpose as part of Hawaii Superferry operations last year, will be mobilized for relief duty in Haiti.

One of two high-speed catamarans built for Hawaii Superferry is being sent to Haiti to help with relief efforts following the devastating earthquake.

A pilot with a Coast Guard C-130 airplane out of Hawai'i who flew into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday said the airport was like "the wild, wild west."

Reconsidering a street-level alternative for Honolulu's planned elevated commuter rail line would delay the start of the project by only six months, the American Institute of Architects' Hawai'i chapter said yesterday.

Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday she is worried whether Honolulu will be able to afford to pay for and operate a proposed elevated rail system and that she has heard similar views expressed by the Federal Transit Administration.

Air pollution in Punaluu - it's been four days now since a dead whale's been rotting off a Windward Oahu beach.

Preparations are under way for a one-day walkout at Kaiser's Honolulu clinic, where a strike line is expected to form at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

When the Hawaii Legislature opens Wednesday, state lawmakers will have their minds on money and money on their minds

For South and West Maui legislators, 2010 will be all about hanging on to what they thought they already had.

With a new member sworn in, a new chair elected and a new year underway, the Kaua‘i Board of Ethics last week made dramatic strides toward resolving long-standing conflict-of-interest issues.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Thousands rally against gay marriage, poll gives Abercrombie, Case the edge, legislative session gearing up, and much more top Hawaii news


Thousands of people filled the state Capitol yesterday with prayer and song, a celebration of traditional values laced with an explicit warning to state lawmakers to preserve marriage as between a man and a woman.


Thousands opposed to same-sex marriage rallied at the state Capitol to send a message to lawmakers who support a civil-unions bill in this election year.


While many believe stimulating the economy and ending school furloughs should be at the forefront for the state Legislature, extending benefits for same-sex partners is also expected to be a hot-button issue.


A sea of people in white flooded the State Capitol Rotunda and spilled onto Beretania Street, hoping to convince lawmakers to kill an upcoming bill that would establish civil unions in Hawaii.


A proposed civil unions bill in the state Legislature has again drawn the attention of opponents and proponents on Kaua‘i.


While consumers in most major cities on the Mainland have the choice of several television providers, local residents have few options when it comes to video programming.


U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie is slightly ahead of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the race for governor, according to a new survey of registered voters.


If an election was held now, KITV4's poll of 403 voters, with a 5 percent margin of error, shows former U.S. Rep. Ed Case would win at 37 percent of likely voters.


State Sen. J. Kalani English will probably grab a few headlines when he introduces two bills in the legislative session this week: one to legalize medical marijuana dispensaries and the other to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.


Exactly 117 years ago, Queen Liliuokalani was forced to give up her throne, making her Hawaii's last monarch.


The newly appointed interim superintendent of Hawaii schools says her strong ties to Hilo and the lessons she learned here will factor into her decision-making as she tries to guide the school system through rocky waters.

It is nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact date or time Hualalai may rumble to life again, but the 8,271-foot volcano will erupt, said Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

As the Legislature readies to begin grappling Wednesday with an anticipated $1.2 billion deficit - and a state constitutional requirement to balance the budget in 60 work days - Maui County's nine-person contingent is looking at wide-ranging solutions from raising the general excise tax by 1 percent to raiding emergency funds.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Casting call for surfer movie on, islands settle into normal trade-wind weather, no Magic in Obama name, residents call for DU cleanup, more news


Gentle winds and big waves are in the forecast for the weekend.

Have you ever dreamed of being in a surf movie? Now's your chance and you don't even have to surf. There's a casting call for extras this Saturday for a movie about Kauai surfing champion, Bethany Hamilton.

Four people urged a panel of judges to force the Army to clean up its depleted uranium-contaminated lands Wednesday.

Four Hawaii residents charged the U.S. Army with trying to cover up its discovery of depleted uranium and then taking a cavalier attitude about cleaning it up during a five-hour hearing Wednesday before a panel of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

There was little support at a City Council meeting yesterday for a plan to name what's popularly known as Magic Island after President Obama anytime soon, and the plan now appears to be in limbo.

While Councilman Tim Bynum pointed to a “non-starter” 50-cent fuel tax proposal to undermine other recommendations in the final draft of the Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan Wednesday, his colleagues offered much harsher criticisms of the fuel tax a day later.

Two Hawaiian Electric Co. employees were injured yesterday by an underground explosion that shook the ground and knocked out power to downtown Honolulu.

"Ambiguous" wording in Hawaii County's so-called "Peaceful Sky" law needs rectifying because it's hampering the Police Commission's work, says the panel's chairman.

Think pulling off the road when you use your cell phone will get you off the hook for a ticket? Think again.

Maui County Council members took a step Wednesday toward altering the county's residential work force housing policy in an effort to coax more development of affordable housing - and any housing - in these troubled economic times.

Even as it closed a door, the Kaua‘i County Council opened a window

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Lawmakers: Help homeless, congressional candidates face off, Haiti in islanders' thoughts, more


Lawmakers yesterday said more needs to be done to move the chronically homeless out of parks and off the streets and said opening a "homeless campground" could be one solution, especially for those who don't want to move into shelters.

Former Congressman Ed Case, state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, the three candidates in a special election for Congress, began to differentiate themselves for voters yesterday in the first public event of the campaign.

Former Rep. Ed Case says Senate President Colleen Hanabusa cannot run for Congress while she is leading the state Senate. He called on her to pick one or the other.

Forty-four agricultural workers from Thailand were forced to work on Aloun Farm for wages lower than what they were promised and required by law, said Kevonne Small, trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

A triple-digit increase in December foreclosures transformed Hawaii into a top 10 state for foreclosure activity and pushed monthly and year-end totals to their highest level since 2005

Collective bargaining, civil service contracts and unions provided the theme that united a number of the priorities set out by three Big Island legislators for the upcoming session.

The devastation in Haiti is causing Secretary of State to cancel her Asia-Pacific tour. She made the announcement Wednesday, while still in Hawaii. Secretary Clinton says she will return to Washington to coordinate the relief efforts.

The pictures are hard to take for Patrick Elie and Mark Benoit -- who are still waiting to hear from loved ones in Haiti.

State Attorney General Mark Bennett was three for four in state court Wednesday, prevailing on all but one defense pre-trial motion in the James Pflueger manslaughter case.

Limiting hiring and equipment purchases has generated a $7.4 million windfall for Hawaii County, which still needs to sell land and possibly raise taxes to avoid a looming shortfall, Mayor Billy Kenoi said.

Driving through a blackened landscape on a 35-foot-wide path dug up by bulldozers, Bill Bergin pointed out koa trees and ohia trees. Some were charred to a crisp, others remained, tall and proud.

At the last minute, Archie Kalepa decided to go right on a wave instead of left at the Jaws surf spot in Peahi. Then, he knew he was in trouble with "the Big Kahuna."

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Clinton stresses East-West ties in Hawaii, Big Island residents challenge DU, zoo booed, more news


Video Link to Clinton's speech.


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking yesterday at the East-West Center, said the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting in Honolulu will give Hawai'i a chance to showcase its unique diversity, its "aloha spirit," and its prime location as a hub between East and West.

Hawaii has a chance to showcase its diversity and act as a model for the region when it hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum next year, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday at the East-West Center in Manoa.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took a barge tour of Pearl Harbor yesterday, stopping briefly to lay a wreath in the shrine room of the USS Arizona Memorial.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made a major policy speech in Honolulu on Tuesday at the East-West Center in Manoa about America's future relationship with Asia.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is here in Hawaii, but she's not kicking back she's kicking off a 10 day trip aimed at strengthening and mending relations with countries in the Asia Pacific region.

A group of architects who have worked on Honolulu 's planned rail project yesterday said they support plans to build the $5.3 billion train on an elevated guideway.

The two largest land animals in all of Hawaii are at the center of a lifestyle dispute.

Hawaii legislators are working to change state law before business owners are slapped with a 1,000 percent increase in unemployment insurance taxes.

Four Hawaii residents, including three from the Big Island, are challenging the U.S. Army's application to possess depleted uranium.

Neil Abercrombie struck back against critics of his decision to resign his seat representing the state's 1st Congressional district and creating the need for a special election this spring in front of a friendly crowd of campaign supporters Monday morning.

Hawaii County developers have pledged $108.5 million for infrastructure to accommodate population increases caused by their developments, but so far, only $8.1 million has found its way into county coffers and only $3.6 million has been spent.

On the heels of legislative and public calls for a ban on fireworks statewide, Maui County law enforcement officials and lawmakers offered an assortment of views on regulating the popular and traditional practice of ringing in the new year with a bang.

Following a tsunami, Maui will get a glimpse of "Hereafter" this week - all thanks to movie magic.

For the second time in as many months, the Kaua‘i Planning Commission on Tuesday rejected a petition arguing North Shore landowner Joseph Brescia has not complied with permits in building his single-family residence on top of multiple known burials at Naue.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Missing moon rocks found, BOE discusses salary cap, Sec. State Clinton speaks, Honolulu vet, son, plane crash victims, surf's still up, more news

 A northwest swell is diminishing but will continue to generate high surf along most of Hawaii's north- and west-facing shores today.

Surf's up, and it is going to stay up, at least for some beaches

Missing moon rocks from the first and last human lunar landings have been discovered in a locked cabinet in Hawaii.

The owners of Aloun Farms, one of the largest and best-known agricultural businesses in Hawai'i, are scheduled to plead guilty tomorrow in federal court to illegally importing farm laborers from Thailand and holding them in virtual servitude

The state Board of Education's decision yesterday to conduct a national search for the next chief of public schools reignited a long-standing debate over the $150,000 pay cap on the superintendent's salary.
The Board of Education on Monday named its new interim superintendent.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have taken over the investigation of a small single-engine plane crash that took the lives of a prominent Honolulu veterinarian and his 20-year-old son Sunday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech today on U.S. relations with Asia and Pacific nations will be webcast.

The crackdown on illegal kayak vendors at Kealekekua Bay is continuing.

Whenever state Rep. Angus McKelvey drives down Front Street and out of the corner of his eye sees that filthy sailboat wreck, he grips the wheel a bit more and let's out a little "grrrr," he said.

A Sunday night fire in a Port Allen warehouse bay leased by Mana Divers caused an estimated $250,000 in damages but no injuries, the Kaua‘i Fire Department announced Monday.

A man died early Sunday morning after collapsing during the Hawaii Electronic Music Festival at the Palace Theater in downtown Hilo.

Tom Greenwell admits he sounds like an infomercial for KonaRed, a new wellness drink made from the ruby red coffee cherries cultivated in Kona.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Surf's up, traffic deaths down, foster children decline, senators endorse Hanabusa, another candidate for lieutenant governor, Akaka Bill stalls, more news

The number of traffic deaths in Hawai'i rose slightly last year due to a big increase in motorcycle-related fatalities. Nevertheless, 2009 marked the second straight year in which overall deaths were far below recent average.

Federal Aviation Administration investigators today plan to inspect the scene of a fiery Piper Cherokee crash that killed at least one person yesterday just off the Lanipo Trail in East Honolulu.

Firefighters plan to return today to the scene of a fatal airplane crash near Kaau Crater above Maunalani Heights to recover the remains of at least one person.

A high-surf warning is in effect for most north- and west-facing shores of the state as a large northwest swell rolls in.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is kicking off her 2010 diplomacy agenda as she did a year ago, with a trip meant to strengthen U.S. relations with key partner nations in the western Pacific.

Concerns over the language of the Akaka Bill continue to be worked out, but both of Hawaii's senators say they expect legislation granting federal recognition to native Hawaiians will be taken up by Congress shortly.

The congressional race is heating up, as one candidate shows off her new headquarters and picks up some key endorsements.

Hawaii's U.S. senators came out early with a strong endorsement of Colleen Hanabusa in her run for the congressional seat to be vacated next month by Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii.

The head of the Democratic party for Hawaii is now throwing his name into the hat for lieutenant governor.

The owners of vacant land along Komohana Street envision a $286 million "Hilo-style neighborhood marketplace" complete with medical offices, hundreds of dwellings and business space intended to attract "local" vendors.

The number of children entering -- and remaining -- in foster care in Hawaii has steadily declined over the last decade.

The state Land Use Commission cleared the way Friday for Castle & Cooke Resorts to continue using brackish water drawn from Lanai’s high-level aquifer to irrigate The Challenge at Manele golf course

Signs warning residents and visitors of the possibility of lead in the water at a pair of drinking fountains at Ka‘ana Picnic Area in Koke‘e State Park were removed last week — a year and a half after tests deemed the water to be safe for consumption.

Friday, January 8, 2010

El Nino keeps islands hot and dry, civil unions law coming, leadership tiff at BOE, professors fight pay cuts, Mighty Mo is back, more top Hawaii news

With El Nino's influence now in full effect, East Hawaii is experiencing warm, dry weather and heavy vog. And there is little relief on the horizon, according to the National Weather Service.

State senators told KITV they expect to approve a civil unions bill shortly after the legislative session starts this month.

The "Mighty Mo," the platform for the Japanese surrender in World War II, has returned to its berth in Pearl Harbor to continue serving as a floating national museum.

State Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi last night refused to step down from his leadership post after several board members called for his resignation.

Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi was criticized by fellow board members Thursday who claim he has not kept them in the loop on important issues.

The University of Hawai'i faculty union on Thursday filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, asking a state court to stop UH President M.R.C. Greenwood from unilaterally imposing salary reductions for UH faculty.

A reduction in the cost of caring for Hawaii's senior citizens is creating controversy.

The Federal Transit Administration raised concerns last fall that the cost of Honolulu's new commuter rail line could outpace the revenue the city has lined up to pay for it.

The board of the state public housing agency selected a replacement yesterday for the agency's executive director in spite of some pleas from community members to keep the popular chief.

State labor officials confirmed Thursday that hundreds of hotel workers on Maui will be laid off.

State cutbacks have led to the recent loss of 10 staff members at the Kaua‘i District Health Office, according to state Department of Health spokesperson Janice Okubo.

Hiring freezes, early retirement incentives and greater use of rainy day funds are among the ways some governments deal with budget emergencies.

A newly formed mainland company is hoping to purchase Kona Blue Water Farms Inc.'s offshore operations.

The latest trend in renewable energy often looks like a remote-controlled airplane - with a man-sized propellor - mounted on top of a flagpole, but it is as quiet as two people talking in a coffee shop and costs about as much as a used car.

Passengers aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Mainland flight that was disrupted by an unruly flier arrived on Maui more than five hours late Wednesday night, tired and happy to finally be on the Valley Isle.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

New taxes looming, whale entangled, mayors want more, marijuana bill defeated, plastic bag ban debated, Hillary coming, union squabbling, more Hawaii news


Marine experts are searching the waters off the Kona Coast for a humpback whale entangled in polypropylene line, deflated buoys and other fishing gear.

 Two key state senators suggested the counties could impose a sales tax of up to 5 percent to recoup revenue lost if the state holds on to the counties' share of the hotel tax.

County mayors said they were open to all proposals for closing sizable gaps in their upcoming budgets, but stopped short of saying property tax hikes were inevitable.

A new proposal under consideration could force customers to pay a sales tax to help take care of soaring budget shortfalls in Hawaii.

Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi laced his request for state funds with humor. But he and his mayoral colleagues know there's nothing funny about the state's budget crisis.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. underscored the importance of Kaua‘i keeping its share of hotel tax revenue from the state in his testimony Wednesday morning during a joint hearing of the House Finance and Senate Ways and Means committees.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration rejected, again, a tentative agreement between education officials and the Hawaii State Teachers Association that would have ended "furlough Fridays" for the remainder of the current school year.

The Lingle administration again rejected a $35 million proposal by the teachers union and state Board of Education to increase instruction time at public schools by seven days ending in June.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in Hawaii next week, where she will speak about Asia-Pacific relations and consult with U.S. military commanders in the Pacific, the State Department said yesterday.

A Hawaiian Airlines passenger plane made a belated landing on Maui last night after turning back to Portland, Ore., under the escort of armed fighter jets.

Home at last, after a fighter jet escort - a Hawaiian air flight at the center of a security scare has finally arrived on Maui.

The state Legislature is cutting five recess days from its 2010 calendar to both trim expenses and encourage members to focus on the state budget.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has picked up the pace in federally registering 48 endangered Kaua‘i species in light of a lawsuit filed earlier this week in federal court by environmental activists.

Kaua‘i drivers would be forced to pay an additional 50 cents for every gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel they purchase if the County Council goes along with measures recommended in the final draft of the Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan released this week.

Hawaii County may join Maui and Kauai counties in banning plastic shopping bags if a bill by Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann continues along its current path.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. underscored the importance of Kaua‘i keeping its share of hotel tax revenue from the state in his testimony Wednesday morning during a joint hearing of the House Finance and Senate Ways and Means committees.

Defying Kelly Greenwell's threat to resign, a County Council committee voted against a resolution asking the state Legislature to decriminalize marijuana

About 35 business owners and community leaders gathered Tuesday in Hilo to forge a message to President Barack Obama on how the government can best aid the economic recovery on the Big Island.


A preliminary report on a Dec. 16 helicopter crash in Hana says the copter actually lost all power and crashed in what was intended as a simulated loss of engine power exercise.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Economy turning around, lawmakers grill Lingle, mayors plot to hold onto TAT, flu shots available, cold front coming, Bankoh the best, more top Hawaii news


For the first time in a long time, there was good news to come out of an economic meeting at the State Capitol.

State lawmakers facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall over the next two years received some good news from Hawaii's top economists on Tuesday.

Several state lawmakers and a leading economist yesterday questioned why the Lingle administration mostly used across-the-board spending cuts to contain the state's budget deficit, arguing that it led to misguided decisions such as furloughs for public school teachers on classroom days.

Gov. Linda Lingle's budget plan for the upcoming legislative session amounts to passing the buck and relying on future administrations to solve the state's financial woes, a key state lawmaker said.

Hawaii's mayors aren't bragging about how big their budgets are. Instead, they're talking about the transient accommodations tax or TAT which comes mainly from hotel rooms.

Six months into her term, the new UH president is showing her tough side. On Tuesday night, M.R.C. Greenwood says she will not give in to the demands of the faculty union.

Acting schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, described as a quick study with good communication skills, has the courage to work for the public interest, says former Gov. Ben Cayetano.

Public school meals might still be the cheapest grinds in town, but new price increases going into effect today aim to close the gap

Fewer people appealed their property assessments last year, but some folks are falling behind on paying their tax bills anyway.

Hawai'i health officials will lift their restrictions on H1N1 vaccine injections sometime next week and are urging people in high-risk groups to get vaccinated against the swine flu in the next several days before everyone else becomes eligible.

Forbes magazine has spotlighted Bank of Hawaii as the nation's top performing bank, while ranking Central Pacific Bank near the bottom of a list of 100 largest U.S. banks and thrifts.

Kona winds that have been coming out of the south since last week should continue until Wednesday, when a cold front is expected to arrive and bring winds out of the north and northeast,

The Kaua‘i County Council on Tuesday interviewed a multitude of mayoral appointees to various boards and commissions.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Mauna Kea management advances, surf's coming up, interim schools chief could be first from business community, special congressional election sought


The National Weather Service has issued a high-surf warning for north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Maui and west-facing shores of the Big Island.

Although businesses had no specific numbers to back their claims, merchants along Maui's north shore say customer traffic and sales go up and even double when the surf rises.

A 3rd Circuit judge has ruled in favor of the University of Hawaii in dismissing a challenge to the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan.

A special election to fill the remainder of U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie's term in Congress could be held in May, provided that funding becomes available and the state obtains new voting machines.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie announced he will resign his office effective Feb. 28 to run for Hawaii governor, leaving the 1st Congressional District without representation for at least a couple of months.

The State Office of Elections says it intends to hold a special election to fill the seat of outgoing Congressman Neil Abercrombie. But how, when, and where the funding comes from is all up the air.

Gov. Linda Lingle has nominated former U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo Jr. as an Oahu circuit judge, a seat left vacant by the retirement of Frances Wong.

Acting Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, an attorney and former executive director of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, said yesterday she hopes to become the permanent chief of Hawai'i's public school system.

The acting superintendent of Hawaii's public schools will step into the Furlough Fridays fray tomorrow in her first appearance with the Board of Education team trying to nudge Gov. Linda Lingle's administration to restore classroom days to the school calendar.

While his heart, soul, family, friends and work are here on the Garden Isle, Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendent Bill Arakaki said Monday that he would consider moving up the state Department of Education ladder if asked.

Police issued 93 citations and made one arrest for fireworks violations over the News Year's holiday this year, a 600% increase from the 14 issued during New Year's 2009.

Starting Tuesday hundreds of public school children will head back to the classroom after the holiday break to face changes to the school bus service.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Obama leaves Hawaii, school chief explains resignation, Kileauea ushers in awareness month, a landfill on a coffee farm, beach privatization and other state news


Madame Pele proved how unpredictable she can be Saturday morning at the kickoff event for Volcano Awareness Month.

President Barack Obama bade goodbye to Hawaii last night after an 11-day getaway filled with basketball, golf, family time and tourist attractions.

President Obama wrapped up his 11-day Christmas vacation in his hometown of Honolulu last night and boarded Air Force One for the 4,800-mile flight to get back to work in Washington, D.C.

He's the leader of the free world, with a heavy agenda waiting for him when he leaves Hawaii tonight and returns to the White House.

Pat Hamamoto said her decision to resign as chief of the Hawai'i school system was not influenced by drawn-out negotiations over teacher furloughs or cuts to the public education budget.

She was in the middle of a budget crisis, Furlough Fridays and bitter collective bargaining. Yet Pat Hamamoto says none of that had anything to do with her decision to walk away from her job as state superintendent.

video: Former Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto spoke for the first time today about her resignation and retirement.

Supporters, opponents and others with something to say about the city's plan to build a $5.5 billion elevated rail will have a new forum to voice their opinions soon.

The HIV prevention coordinator's position and a "major link" with the community on HIV/AIDS issues has been eliminated in state Health Department budget cuts.

Last year ended without indictments in the cases of two Orchidland Estates women police say were murdered.

With the end of the "Aughts," Hawaii and Maui County look toward another election year, with a number of high-stakes contests just 11 months away.

Members of the county body that annually recommends properties to be acquired for open space and public access purposes are concerned about “vegetative encroachment and beach privatization.”

A proposal to put Kaua'i's next landfill in the middle of the state's largest coffee plantation has plenty of people asking Mayor Bernard Carvalho, "Why?"

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Lucky we live Hawaii: Ahi, fireworks, Obama, Palin, Pelosi, Limbaugh and Rove and all the day's news

A number of companies and hotels will offer pyrotechnics shows around the state on New Year's Eve as part of celebrations.

Maui might get more crackle and pop this New Year's Eve.

Dry conditions prompt fireworks warning

Beginning at midnight, employees at Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering in Waipahu were to begin cutting large blocks of ahi into thin slices. The pre-dawn work today is in anticipation of the morning arrival of scores of customers who ordered sashimi for New Year's.

President Barack Obama continued his low-key holiday vacation, spending several hours at the secluded North Shore home of a high school friend.

Karl Rove, a senior advisor and top political strategist to former President George W. Bush, is scheduled to appear at the state GOP's annual Lincoln Day dinner in February, local Republicans said Wednesday.


Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk radio host, is "resting comfortably" in the Queen's Medical Center after suffering chest pains, his program said in a statement.

In stark contrast to Sarah Palin, whose Hawaii vacation was photographed and touted in the press, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is enjoying a very private luxurious time at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort on the Big Island.

Crime in Honolulu rose nearly 6 percent in the first half of 2009, even as it fell nationwide.

Despite an initial rejection by the governor ... a proposed agreement to reduce the number of teacher furlough days is still alive.

Hawaii County is moving forward with its revised version of a $1.4 million upgrade to Reed's Bay Beach Park in Hilo.

Firefighters continued to build a fire break around the Kealakekua Ranch fire Tuesday, West Hawaii Battalion Chief Reuben Chun said.

Many Hawaii County property owners are abusing agricultural tax exemptions and not paying their fair share of taxes, according to the chairman of the Real Property Tax Board of Review.

The voters’ rejection in 2008 of a proposed charter amendment that would have loosened ethical restrictions does not impact how the law is interpreted, county officials have determined.

Do you walk three miles to and from work everyday? Would you expect a 7-year-old to?

A recent study has thrown new light on the previously underestimated extent of pre-contact Hawaiian agriculture, particularly in dry lee areas of the Big Island.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Obama family snorkels, Big Island land conserved, rat image plagues Chinatown, and more Hawaii news


President Barack Obama picked the perfect day to go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.

Big Island ranch land that is habitat for endangered native bird species and plants will be protected from development under an agreement between the owners and the Nature Conservancy.

Gov. Linda Lingle's aides are expected to meet with education officials this morning to discuss ending teacher furloughs, but the teachers union will not be at the table.

An interim replacement for the state's chief elections officer is to be selected by the state Elections Commission.

A state judge Tuesday ordered unsealed the State of Hawai‘i portion of a settlement agreement in the wrongful-death and property-damage lawsuits against retired Honolulu car dealer James Pflueger.

In the Chinese calendar 2009 is the year of the Ox, but it could turn out to be remembered for the rat after video surfaced of rodents crawling all over food in a Chinatown market. Now the community is trying to fight the image with education.

At the Deep Draft Harbor there's no sight of the barge that's supposed to make a historic journey. Currently, by the city's estimates there's probably about 300 tons of rubbish stacking up dockside.

The fate of two major Mauna Kea telescopes is in limbo following a decision in mid-December to cut funding for at least one of them.

Hawaii County wants to turn down the tap on water waste at emergency water spigots and is proposing changes to county law to do just that.

Local fish retailers are pretty sure there will be enough sashimi to go around this New Year's, although some say it is too early to tell if the prices will be higher or lower this year.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Whale watchers needed, governor, educators still at odds, fishermen protest, more Hawaii news


Anyone who wants to help in this year's whale count can sign up now.

Federal wildlife officials were reassessing their work to try to disentangle a humpback whale off West Maui on Christmas Day, and whale expert Ed Lyman said Sunday that he believes the distressed whale will be able to survive its injuries.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday shot down an agreement between the teachers union and education officials to end most furlough days this school year, saying it was not "fiscally responsible."

If the University of Hawaii does not get pay concessions from the faculty union, layoffs and cuts in student financial aid are "potentially on the table," UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said.

The University announced 3,500 professors will see a 6.67 pay cut over the next year and a half. On average the University said professors make $84,000 a year. The cut equates to $5,600 less a year.

Ringing fishing bells and holding protest signs, a coalition of more than 90 boaters and fishers held a demonstration at the state Capitol yesterday against proposed state rules that they say would restrict their recreation and lifestyle.

The president wrapped up about five hours of golf at the Luana Hills Country Club Monday without finishing the full 18 holes.

Good riddance to 2009, a lost year.

"Lucky you live Hawaii."

The long-awaited completed revision of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which has as its goal a minimum of 35 percent diversion from the landfill and productive uses of even non-recyclable trash, was recently presented to the Kaua‘i County Council.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Air travel smooth, smoking down, whale finally freed, First Family vacations, unions drag feet, more news

Despite increased security at airports following two scares in Detroit, many passengers arriving in Honolulu Sunday said they did not experience any unusual travel delays.

The quarantine station at Honolulu Airport is seeing a lot of international passengers arriving with swine flu but no illnesses requiring quarantine or isolation, say Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

A series of tobacco tax hikes are helping to curtail local sales of cigarettes and cigars.

Businesses in Kailua said they have seen a surge in customer traffic since the first family arrived for the holidays.

It seems the teachers union, along with blue-collar workers, are dragging their feet in hopes that they can make it to the finish line called the legislative session and make their case before lawmakers that they should not have to take a hit.

A whale entangled in fishing gear off of Maui was freed on Christmas Day by rescuers led by the Hawaiian Islands Entanglement Response Team.

Whale expert Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary said he believed the team freed the whale of most or all of the material it was dragging, which included an anchor; but that he could not be sure because he didn't get a chance to look under the animal before it swam away.

The Christmas shopping season was a mixed bag for Hilo merchants, some of whom did strong sales, while others are hoping for better business in 2010.

As the number of homes in foreclosure grows larger and larger, so do the problems caused by an increasing number of homes sitting vacant, ownerless and uncared for in neighborhoods around Maui.

Living in a grass hut, tepee or igloo may not be ideal for most people, but these structures provide the fundamental concepts of sustainable living that have been around “a lot longer than we have,” said architect and sustainability consultant Peter Arsenault.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Welcome home, Barry-O, big waves coming for Christmas, residents leaving Hawaii, more state news

Images of Hawai'i's clear skies, blue waters and verdant cliffs were being beamed to a snow-bound Mainland audience even before President Obama touches down in his hometown today for an expected 10-day Christmas vacation.

Waves of 40 feet or higher are forecast for north shores on Christmas day.

Two more rounds of extra-big and giant-sized waves are expected to hit the north and west shores of Maui and Molokai this week, said Glenn James, senior weather analyst at the Pacific Disaster Center in Kihei.

More Hawaii residents moved to the U.S. mainland through the past year than vice versa, helping to keep the state's population growth rate relatively low, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Education officials remained tight-lipped on details of a tentative agreement with the state teachers union to reduce furlough days for public school teachers.

Battered by foreign competition and a sputtering economy, the last major pineapple producer in Hawaii completed its final harvest after 97 years in the agricultural business.

Those who imbibe their holiday spirits should be aware that police plan to step up drunken driving enforcement.

Hawaii County government, having batted 0 for 2 on two different approaches to providing affordable housing, remains mired in litigation, is contemplating a drastic revision of county code and is preparing to try yet a third approach.

The county Charter Review Commission voted unanimously to move forward with a ballot measure that would, if approved by voters next year, extend the term for Kaua‘i County Council members from two years to four.

Even for many U.S. cities and municipalities, the life-sustaining liquid delivered to consumers, even when safe, can taste like the shallow end of a swimming pool

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cher selling Big Island home, state-county budget fights continue, state readies for Obama, more news


Cher's six-bedroom Hawaii home overlooking the Pacific Ocean is set to be auctioned Jan. 18.

Hawai'i's love affair with President Obama is as ardent as ever, and so far there's every sign it's mutual.

It is unlikely that an agreement to end public school teacher furloughs will be reached in time to prevent the next "furlough Friday" on Jan. 8, a goal Gov. Linda Lingle had set when she proposed her plan last month.

The executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly said yesterday that the union is "fully prepared" to go to court and defend a clause in its contract that would prevent the administration from cutting faculty salaries.

Gov. Linda Lingle plans to take the counties' share of the transient accommodations tax to balance state budgets for the next three years.

Hawaii County's budget hole may get $17 million deeper after the state indicated Monday it would suspend payments of the hotel room tax to the counties.

Already staring at a potential $140 million hole in their next budget, the City Council and Mayor Mufi Hannemann's administration now face the prospect of coming up with $45 million more, based on the governor's plan to scoop all of the hotel room tax money that normally is divvied up among the state's four counties.

With Maui County already facing a bleak outlook for property tax revenue next year, Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to suspend the counties' share of hotel room revenue came as more bad news Monday.

State officials have taken a 6-foot boa constrictor into custody after a Big Island resident discovered it.

Hawaii hospitals are eyeing the key senate vote, expected on Christmas Eve.

Many customers of the county Department of Water will see their bimonthly bill rise 10.3 percent effective Jan. 1.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Lingle unveils budget, garbage and power on Oahu, monk seal attacks tourist, more Hawaii news


Gov. Linda Lingle, trying to close a $1.2 billion budget deficit through June 2011, said yesterday that she would delay tax refunds from April until July and ask state lawmakers to scoop hotel-room tax revenues that now go to counties.

Hawaii's four counties could feel the brunt of the state's financial crisis in the coming fiscal year as the governor looks to close a $1.23 billion budget hole using money usually allocated to the counties.

Gov. Linda Lingle said she plans to delay some income and corporate tax refunds until after July 1 to help the state deal with its $1.2 billion budget shortfall.

It's a billion dollar fix. The governor unveiled a sweeping new plan on Monday to balance the budget, in part, by delaying tax returns.

The state has started the planning necessary for laying a network of undersea cables to transfer wind-generated electricity from Lana'i and Moloka'i to O'ahu.

The company with a contract to ship O'ahu trash to the Mainland has yet to do so, seven weeks after it first said it would.

The City of Honolulu Monday broke ground on an expansion to the city's H-POWER waste-to-energy facility in Campbell Industrial Park. The facility, which converts solid waste to electricity, will generate enough power to supply 25,000 additional homes.

Public opinion will be sought at a hearing on the state's plan to reduce medical coverage for Pacific Islanders who migrate to Hawaii under the Compact of Free Association.

Investigators continued work Sunday at a Kahului Airport hangar examining the wreckage of an Aerospatiale AS350 helicopter that crash-landed on a remote Hana coastline Wednesday.

An adult female monk seal on Monday attacked and seriously injured a 28-year-old female visitor from Kirkland, Wash.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Political season fires up, Health Department in focus over rats, Oahu readies for Obama, more state news

When U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie announced he would resign from Congress to devote his attention to his campaign for governor, many Democrats were startled by the response from U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye.

The Hawaii Democratic Party is now accepting applications to temporarily fill its top post.

A highly publicized rat problem at a Chinatown market is again highlighting the shortage of state food safety inspectors — whose O'ahu ranks have dwindled from 23 in 1988 to nine today — and one state senator called the problem a serious public health concern.

Combining technology and traditional archaeology, scientists have identified thousands of acres of land farmed by early Hawaiians.

Hawaii Island Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy Robert Shallenberger takes bird enthusiasts from the eastern shore of the Big Island to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and documents seabirds of the archipelago in "Hawaiian Birds of the Sea: Na Manu Kai."

Hawaii Birds: An Introduction to Over 140 Species of the Most Common and Distinctive Hawaiian Birds

Honolulu Symphony orchestra members gathered at the Blaisdell Concert Hall yesterday to show their support for keeping the orchestra going despite the symphony's bankruptcy filing.

Tour guides are afraid a temporary no-fly zone created when President Barack Obama visits Oahu will hamper aerial sightseeing of popular spots in what is usually a busy tourist season.

On Sunday morning, people in Kona saw hail and a waterspout off shore.

A decade ago, a scandal over rigged promotions rocked the county and cost taxpayers millions -- but the fallout resulted in a better Police Department

Two federal agencies will investigate an incident in which concrete blocks dropped by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources off Keawakapu earlier this month damaged live coral.

For the past year, at the direction of Mayor Charmaine Tavares, the county Department of Planning has quietly been working to streamline and update the county's out-of-date code into a new era of "smart-growth" and "mixed-use" planning.

Housing on Kaua‘i is anything but affordable, according to Anne Punohu of the Kaua‘i Fair Housing Law Coalition.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Lucky we live Hawaii, economy drops a bit, H1N1 vaccines available, bus service continuing


People in sunny, outdoorsy states -- Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida -- say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

The latest economic forecast says Hawai'i could see some recovery starting early next year, though it will be weak and not shared by all sectors.

The state Council on Revenues trimmed the state's revenue forecast yesterday, but the reduction was less than state lawmakers feared, and economists spoke optimistically about the state moving out of the recession.

The state's budget deficit grew by about $40 million as the Council on Revenues reduced its revenue forecast by one percentage point, predicting tax money for the 2010 fiscal year to come in about 2.5 percent lower than a year ago.

East Hawaii businesses that depend on the cruise ship industry will continue sailing through the doldrums of stagnant tourism in 2010.

Kamehameha Schools spent 5.5 percent less on educational programs in the 2009 fiscal year than the year before, though the trust said it increased its reach to Native Hawaiian children by 16 percent compared to last year.

The Department of Education said on Thursday that school bus services will not end in the spring and any claims that they will end are completely false.

The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Thursday approved changes in the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act that would provide a much faster route to a sovereign Native Hawaiian government.

If you're looking to get vaccinated against swine flu there's good news. The Department of Health expanded the range so more people can get the nasal spray.

The Hawaii Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a dispute over environmental law. At stake is a plan to expand the Turtle Bay Resort.

A Legacy Land Conservation Commission grant, combined with money from the county's Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation fund, will be used to buy 10 acres in North Kohala.

The state Water Resource Management Commission decided on Thursday afternoon to postpone a decision in the contested case over 19 East Maui streams.

From the time Ken D’Attilio of Inter-Island Helicopters decided to get out of the tour business, the company phone hasn’t stopped ringing with inquiries about tours, a company spokesman said.

Wrapping up what has been an occasionally contentious 2009 with quite possibly its most heated meeting to date, the Kaua‘i Board of Ethics on Thursday laid out the path it will take on its way to clarifying a controversial section of the County Charter.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Lingle, teachers hit impasse, Akaka Bill advances, turtles in trouble, standoff ends in shootout

Changes to longline fishery rules endanger the future existence of turtles, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the National Marine Fisheries Service

The teachers union and Gov. Linda Lingle's administration have hit a standstill in talks on reducing the number of Furlough Fridays at public schools, diminishing chances of a solution before early January.

After two days of negotiations that initially appeared productive, talks between the teachers union and the governor's office collapsed with both sides unable to agree on how to end furloughs of public school teachers.

Talks aimed at ending furlough days for Hawaii public schools broke off on Wednesday morning with no deal and no new meetings scheduled.

A Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill moved forward in the House yesterday without the proposed changes that have drawn opposition from Gov. Linda Lingle.

The long-running battle over allowing more bed-and-breakfast operations on Oahu is settled for now after the City Council voted down a proposal to lift a cap imposed 20 years ago.

The voggy and hazy conditions the islands are experiencing will last at into Thursday. Then a cold front will come over the islands, scrubbing the vog out of the skies.

Baby boomers reaching the end of their work years, coupled with a tight county budget, are creating an increase in "retirement in place" for Hawaii County employees.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares will seek a second four-year term in 2010.

The federal government's Advanced Technology Solar Telescope is most likely coming to Haleakala, but whether Native Hawaiian groups want to - or should - participate in its establishment was a subject for debate Tuesday afternoon.

Big Island police shot and killed a 60-year-old Puna man Wednesday afternoon after a standoff of over ten hours. Police say that the man, who has yet to be identified, fired a gun numerous times during the standoff.

The Kaua‘i County Council wasted no time Wednesday morning, questioning Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s decision to move forward with siting a new landfill at the Umi site near Kalaheo and grilling the county’s consultant for answers about the selection process.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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.