Quake Magnitude Downgraded Slightly, No Tsunami Expected

1. EVENT: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at Ewa Beach has issued a TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT for the Hawaiian Islands.

2. EFFECTS: An earthquake has occurred at 6:34 p.m. HST on November 23, 2010 at the island of Kahoolawe with a 4.6 magnitude measurement. No tsunami is expected. This will be the only statement issued for this event unless additional data are received.

3. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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4.7 Kaho'olawe Quake Felt Across Maui County

Maui residents have reported to Police and to Maui TV News that they felt the earth shake a short while ago. The US Geological Survey confirms that a magnitude 4.7 quake struck at 6:34 this evening.

The quake was centered on the southwest shore of Kaho'olawe, at a depth of 11 miles. For reference, the quake was centered 30 miles SSW of Wailuku; 30 miles SE of Lana'i City; 45 miles WSW of Hana and 95 miles SE of Honolulu.

Reports of shaking have come from Kahului, Kihei and Wailuku. There have been no reports of injuries or damages.

(Information Collected from USGS and MPD Sources)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 3:40 p.m. HST

ACLU Plans TSA Info-Rally at Honolulu Airport

HONOLULU – Criticizing the new Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) measures to screen airline passengers as an unacceptable choice that violates fundamental rights, provides a false sense of security and is particularly harsh on Hawaii residents and visitors, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii (“ACLU”) will be at Honolulu International Airport tomorrow handing out its “Travelers, Know Your Rights at the Airport” flyers from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on the sidewalk outside Lobby 4 on the Second Floor.

Many airline travelers have already undergone naked scans of their bodies or intrusive and humiliating manual searches by TSA. The ACLU is receiving an increasing number of complaints from travelers upset about how they were searched and others who want to know what to do if they object.

“Given the intrusive nature of these searches, we want travelers to be informed about what they may experience at the airport. The ACLU is very concerned that these unlawful, invasive and ineffective TSA searches provide a false sense of security,” said Laurie Temple, ACLU staff attorney.

“Hawaii residents and visitors to the islands are amongst those who are hardest hit – there is no choice but to fly and suffer through a degrading physical groping and massive invasion of privacy. These new TSA policies violate any standard of decency in addition to eroding the fundamental right to privacy and to be free from unreasonable searches.

The ACLU’s action tomorrow will also encourage travelers to contact their elected officials to demand that Hawaii’s airport officials remove the current body scanners and cancel plans to implement more. The ACLU has conveyed its concerns to Senator Daniel K. Inouye, a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security, and plans to contact the rest of the congressional delegation.

The national American Civil Liberties Union and state affiliates have received hundreds of complaints from travelers about TSA’s new policies and procedures and use of “Advanced Imaging Technology” body scanners. Scanners currently in use by TSA at the Honolulu and Lihue airports produce naked pictures of passengers’ bodies as they pass through security checkpoints. These graphic images show highly personal details like colostomy bags, adult diapers and mastectomy scars and have not been proven to be effective in preventing terrorist attacks. Passengers who “opt out” of the body scanners are subject to “advanced” pat-down searches that involve open-palmed patting and squeezing of the entire body, including genitals and breasts. These manual searches have been likened to sex assaults and, while offensive to everyone, are particularly traumatizing for children, individuals with prostheses and other medical devices, those who believe the policies violate their religious beliefs, and those who have been sexually assaulted.

With serious questions being raised about the effectiveness of the naked body scanners and invasive pat-downs, the government must consider alternate security measures that will actually make us more secure without compromising our privacy and dignity.

For more information on the ACLU and its actions to press for effective national security measures, please visit www.aclu.org/TSA.

The mission of the ACLU of Hawaii is to protect the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the U.S. and State Constitutions. The ACLU of Hawaii fulfills this through legislative, litigation, and public education programs statewide. The ACLU of Hawaii is a non-partisan and private nonprofit organization that provides its services at no cost to the public and does not accept government funds. The ACLU of Hawaii has been serving Hawaii since 1965.

(Report Provided by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 12:40 p.m. HST

Arakawa Taps Rasmussen as New Economic Development Coordinator

Mayor-Elect Alan Arakawa today named Teena Rasmussen as his Economic Development Coordinator in his fourth announcement of leadership positions in the Arakawa administration.

As Economic Development Coordinator, Rasmussen will be tasked to plan, organize, promote and coordinate economic development strategies, programs and related activities in cooperation with public agencies, educational institutions, businesses and community groups; develop, prepare and review grant funding applications and proposals; and analyze and evaluate County sponsored economic vitality programs including contract administration and compliance monitoring.

Immediate tasks include working on the budget for the Office of Economic Development, working with Arakawa's Technology Working Group to develop a series of actionable proposals that will leverage technology to grow the local economy, create jobs, and to provide a roadmap to make Maui a thriving software development hub, and forming an economic revitalization task force to develop both short-term and long-term economic development strategies as well as to draft proposed legislation to improve the county and state's business climate.

"Teena brings to the position 30 years of experience of owning a small business on Maui and volunteer service to government, education, agriculture, and the business community. Her years in working in the challenging agriculture industry, owning and operating a small business, and having to 'think outside of the box' have prepared Teena well for the challenges she will face," said Arakawa.

"I am truly honored to accept the position of Economic Development Coordinator for Maui County under the leadership and vision of Mayor-elect Arakawa. I have had a desire for some time to engage in some type of government service. The timing of Mayor-elect Arakawa's election was opportune for me. I am excited and looking forward to this new position and the great new partnership Mayor-elect Arakawa wants to create with the businesses of Maui County. I feel my 30 years as a small business owner and all of my previous volunteer service to the community."

As the co-owner & Vice-President of Paradise Flower Farms, Inc., Rasmussen was recognized as "Small Business Advocate of the Year" for Maui County by the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1991, "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Maui Chamber of Commerce and Island Business Magazine in 2000, "Small Business Person of the Year" for Maui County in 2001, and "Farm Family of the Year" by Maui County Farm Bureau in 2004, "Most Outstanding Farm Family" by Hawaii State Farm Bureau in 2004, "Small Business Champion of the Year" by NFIB Hawaii in 2005, "Outstanding Community Service & Achivement Award" by Maui Agricultural Foundation in 2005, and Ho`okela Awardee for "E-Commerce Retailer of the Year" by Retail Merchants of Hawaii in 2006. Rasmussen also serves as a member of the University of Hawai`i Board of Regents and serves as chair of the Community College Committee, and a member of the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Committees.

Rasmussen will be stepping down from the day-to-day operations at Paradise Flower Farms, Inc., but will continue as a board member and advisor through this transition. The company will continue to be in the capable hands of her husband and company president, Craig Rasmussen. Both of their daughters have returned to join their company and will have active roles in the company's future. "I have assembled a very accomplished team that will continue our business with the high quality service and fresh floral products that our customers are accustomed to," said Rasmussen.

(Report Provided by the Maui Chamber of Commerce)

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State Unemployment Unchanged - Maui Eases Slightly

HONOLULU – The Hawai`i State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 6.4 percent, the same as the revised rate of 6.4 percent in September. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.6 percent in October. There were 592,100 employed and 40,650 unemployed in October, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 632,750. In October, there were 3,350 fewer people who were unemployed compared to the same time last year.

“Hawaii’s employment situation continues to show steady improvement, with unemployment rates holding steady and private sector jobs beginning to increase,” said Labor Director Pearl Imada Iboshi.

Read the entire report here.

(Report Provided by The Hawai'i State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 8:55 a.m. HST

Citizens Groups Appeal to Legislature for Openness

Citizen groups seeking transparency in government are sending letters to each of Hawaii’s legislators that urge them to make the Capitol more accessible.

The letters ask the Senate and House to broadcast more proceedings online, give at least three business days notice before legislative hearings and quickly post bill amendments online.

Senators also are being asked to include a list of all organizations or agencies testifying on a topic.

Eighteen organizations signed on to the letters, including AARP Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and the Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 8:40 a.m. HST

Kaho'ohalahala Declared Lahaina Resident

WAILUKU - The state Board of Registration has ruled for a second time that Maui County Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala - who holds the Lanai residency seat on the council - is actually a resident of Lahaina.

The Nov. 16 decision by the board does not deal with Kaho'ohalahala's status as a council member, but it voids his 2009 Lanai voter registration. Kaho'ohalahala did vote in the 2010 primary and general elections, but his ballots have not yet been counted, officials said. The ballots have been "sequestered" pending a potential appeal of the decision.

In its written decision, the board found that evidence presented by Kaho'ohalahala was not enough to establish that he had a physical presence on Lanai.

"To the contrary, based on the evidence presented, Mr. Kaho'ohalahala has maintained a significant physical presence in Lahaina, Maui, and has not abandoned his residence there," the board wrote.

The decision reverses Maui County Clerk Jeffrey Kuwada's decision last year to accept Kaho'ohalahala's voter registration as a Lanai resident.

Kuwada said Monday that the county would not appeal the decision.

"We've reviewed the Board of Registration's decision, and we'll have to live with it," he said.

Kaho'ohalahala could not be reached for comment. His attorney, who did not represent him before the Board of Registration, declined to comment on whether they were considering an appeal.

Last week's board decision comes as both Kaho'ohalahala and his challengers continue to wait for a ruling on a lawsuit seeking to have him removed from office. Arguments wrapped up in August in that case, but 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza has not yet released a decision.

Honolulu attorney Ken Kupchak, who represented Lanai resident and challenger Michael "Phoenix" Dupree's appeal to the Board of Registration, and who represents 17 Lanai residents challenging Kaho'ohalahala in the pending lawsuit, said his clients were "pleased" with last week's decision.

"We'll see what happens with the next one," he said.

While he was born and lived for much of his life on Lanai, Kaho'ohalahala registered to vote as a Lahaina resident in 2006. Two years later, he changed his registration to Lanai, shortly before filing as a candidate for county council.

In his two-year term, Kaho'ohalahala has faced numerous challenges from Lanai residents claiming that the council member never actually moved back to the island.

The Hawaii Supreme Court last year upheld an earlier challenge to his Lanai voter registration, ruling that he was actually a resident of Lahaina. The same day that decision was handed down, Kaho'ohalahala again registered to vote as a Lanai resident, presenting additional evidence to support his claim. Last week's Board of Registration decision found that the evidence wasn't enough, and again ruled that he was actually a Lahaina resident.

The board met in May and July in Lanai City to hear the case.

In its decision, the board said that when Kaho'ohalahala registered to vote last year, he provided some, but not all, of the information Kuwada requested to confirm his claim of Lanai residency.

"For example, while Mr. Kaho'ohalahala did submit a registration certificate for a Nissan Pathfinder that he keeps on Lanai, he did not inform Mr. Kuwada that the registration certificate had expired or that the vehicle is inoperable and cannot pass a safety inspection," the decision notes. He also did not report that he and his wife maintain and insure two fully operable vehicles on Maui, it said.

Similarly, Kaho'ohalahala provided evidence of a bank account on Lanai but did not disclose that he and his wife also have a checking account on Maui that they use to pay household expenses, the board said.

Kaho'ohalahala also did not provide copies of his tax returns, which Kuwada had asked for, the board noted. When reviewed later, the tax returns listed a Lahaina address as his residence.

Kaho'ohalahala's bank records showed many purchases on Maui, but when questioned by the board, he said he usually spent cash on Lanai.

"Mr. Kaho'ohalahala did not realize that there would be any reason for him to save the receipts for all of his purchases on Lanai, but he would have done so if he had known that the lack of receipts would be used against him," the board wrote.

In order to change legal residency, a person must show both that he has established a physical presence in the new home and has abandoned the old one, the board said, citing state laws and the Hawaii Supreme Court's ruling on Kaho'ohalahala's previous case.

The board said Kaho'ohalahala had provided facts about his current ties to Lanai but failed to show he had abandoned his wife's home in Lahaina, noting that he still stays there when on Maui and keeps half his belongings there.

Reached Monday, Kuwada said last week's decision would affect how he handles voter registration challenges in the future. In cases where a voter's claim that he or she changed residence is challenged, Kuwada said he would take a harder look at whether or not the person could show he or she had truly pulled up stakes at the old home.

"We're going to have to ask for a lot of information from the individual so we can make an appropriate decision," he said.

Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.

(Report Provided by The Maui News)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 7:25 a.m. HST

County Offices, Pools Closed for Thanksgiving

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii- All County of Maui offices will be closed on Thursday, November 25, 2010 in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. On Molokai, regular Thursday refuse pickups will be made one day early on Wednesday. Trash collection is expected to follow a normal schedule on Maui, including Hana, and on Lanai.

County landfills will operate on Thursday as follows:

OPEN:
- Central Maui Landfill: open 6 a.m. - noon

CLOSED:
- Hana, Molokai and Lanai landfills
- Olowalu Recycling & Refuse Convenience Center

The Waiehu Golf Course will be open; all County pools will be closed on the holiday. The public is advised to call 270-8208 for daily recorded pool schedule information, which is updated by 9 a.m. seven days a week.

For more information on County services, programs and schedules, visit www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 23, 2010 6:55 a.m. HST

Big Island Farm Has Big Vision for Biofuel Crop

Algae has been grabbing the lion's share of attention in Hawaii's effort to develop a home -grown biofuel industry.

As a feedstock for biofuel production, its credentials are impressive. Potential oil yields from certain algae strains can be at least 60 times higher than from soybeans and five times higher than from palm oil, currently the most efficient large-scale source of biofuel feedstock, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy. The promise of algae has prompted the federal government to pour millions of dollars into research and development to jump-start production in Hawaii.

Local companies such as HR Biopetroleum Inc., Hawaii Bioenergy LLC and Phycal LLC have put teams of scientists to work conducting experiments to find the most productive algae strains and most efficient harvesting methods.

The financial incentives are high, with Hawaiian Electric Co. and the U.S. military waiting in the wings to buy large quantities of the renewable fuel for their operations when it becomes available. HECO's power plants can burn crude bio-fuels and more refined biodiesel made from renewable sources, while biofuel extracted from algae and other feedstocks can be refined into jet fuel. Biodiesel also can be burned in any vehicle that runs on petroleum-based diesel.

As the algae companies slowly move forward with their research and development, however, another source of renewable energy is blossoming -- literally -- on the Big Island. Hawaii Pure Plant Oil, or HIPPO, is midway through the second harvest of oil-rich jatropha seeds on a 250-acre test plot in Keaau.

Father-and-son partners Christian and James Twigg-Smith planted the jatropha bushes two years ago on fallow sugar cane land, and discovered that the plant, originally from Central America plant thrives in the humid Keeau climate.

While not quite at the level of algae, the potential oil yield from jatropha is among the highest of any crop except palm oil, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Twigg-Smiths, who also grow coffee commercially under the Kona Blue Sky brand, are planning on eventually selling oil from the jatropha seeds to Big Island Biodiesel, which broke ground last week on a processing plant in Keeau. Big Island Biodiesel is a subsidiary of Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel, the state's largest processor of biodiesel from waste restaurant oil.

The elder Twigg-Smith said the yield from the current jatropha harvest is greater than last year's initial harvest. The plants should be fully mature in four to five years, he said, adding that the plans are to expand the plantation to 1,000 acres if all goes well.

The company picks the jatropha seed pods using an "over-the-row" mechanical harvester similar to what is used to pick coffee, Twigg-Smith said.

The jatropha plantation hasn't generated the kind of interest from investors that algae projects have, Christian Twigg-Smith said. HIPPO is trying to raise $1.3 million to build a storage building and buy more equipment, including a large-scale cold press to extract the oil from the jatropha seeds.

Big Island Biodiesel hopes to have its Keeau biodiesel processing plant finished by the fall of 2011, said Kelly King, vice president and marketing director for parent Pacific Biodiesel.

The plant will be the most sophisticated of all of the company's processing facilities, able to accept a variety of feedstocks, from restaurants' waste "trap grease" to jatropha and algae oil, she said.

King said she's been hearing about the promise of algae-based biofuel for some time, but has yet to see any of the producers come up with a firm timetable for production.

"I have a standing offer to pay $500 for the first gallon of algae oil," she said.

Of all the Hawaii-based companies, HR Biopetroleum may be closest to commercial production of biofuel from algae. The company is doing its R & D in a joint venture with Shell Oil at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in Kona.

HR Biopetroleum CEO Edward Shonsey said the company has received all the permits it needs to build a processing facility near Maalaea on Maui, and could begin producing algae-based biofuel in two to three years.

"Algae is a wonderful, indigenous source of biofuel for Hawaii. We're moving along well with the progress and continuing to work on yield," Shonsey said.

Reach Alan Yonan at ayonan@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 22, 2010 7:45 a.m. HST

Mount Bulusan Grumbles, Awakens Filipinos

MANILA - Hundreds of villagers fled to safety Sunday after a volcano in the central Philippines belched smoke and ash high into the sky, rousing many from their sleep, officials said.

Despite Mount Bulusan’s ash explosion, its sixth in recent weeks, there was no danger of an imminent eruption, government volcanologists said.

Hundreds of villagers fled their homes in the towns of Irosin and Juban by foot and in army trucks as Bulusan shot a plume of grayish smoke and ash more than a mile into the sky for nine minutes, regional disaster-response official Raffy Alejandro said.

“Aside from the ash explosion, there were rumbling sounds so many got scared,” Alejandro said.

The mountain in Sorsogon province calmed down after the spectacle and villagers were expected to return home from two evacuation centers, he said.

Bulusan, one of the country’s 23 active volcanoes, is about 240 miles southeast of Manila.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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Statewide Drought Easing - But Painfully Slowly

The statewide drought appears to be easing as cooler La Nina conditions bring more rain to Hawaii, according to the National Weather Service.

But farmers and ranchers said a protracted amount of rain is needed before they can recover from several years of extremely dry conditions.

Some areas, such as southwestern Kauai and leeward sections of the Big Island and Maui, did not receive significant rainfall in October, continuing extreme drought conditions, National Weather Service officials said Friday.

Late Thursday, thunderstorms along with lightning passed by Hawaii, and most of the anticipated heavy rainfall missed the islands.

The weather service reported 0.15 inches of rain Thursday at Honolulu Airport and 0.6 inches at Lihue Airport but none for airports in Hilo and Kahului.

In October, while many places reported less than normal rainfall, some areas exceeded their normal monthly average, including Haiku on Maui with 5.71 inches -- 12 percent above normal -- and Honaunau on the Big Island with 5.54 inches of rain, 7 percent above normal.

A rain forest gauge on Oahu recorded 19.6 inches, or 15 percent more than normal, the weather service said.

Kauai rancher William Sanchez Sr. said he has had to cut his herd in half and is down to 1,000 head, and he has been buying cattle feed.

Sanchez said the grass is gone in portions of his 2,000-acre ranch.

"We had a little rain, but other than that it's been down," he said.

Sanchez said that in prior years he was able to get molasses to supplement forage for cattle, but that option ended with the closure of sugar cane cultivation on the island.

Farmers in East Oahu said the rain in October and November has helped a bit.

Grant Hamachi, president of the East County Farm Bureau, said the state agricultural reservoir at Waimanalo has risen, but not enough to lift the 30 percent mandatory conservation restrictions for farmers.

Hamachi said farmers are going into the rainy season and that improvements have been made to patch ditches.

"The water system should be improved as time goes by," he said.

At Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui, the rains have been enough to encourage new plantings in some high-elevation areas in October and this month.

But company official Rick Volner said plantings have been spaced out in the event the anticipated rain does not fall, and Hawaiian Commercial has to stretch its supply of water.

Volner said the while there has been some increase in rain, a lot of the plantation is still at 40 percent of normal rainfall.

"It's been such a prolonged drought. ... It's going to take more than one month of a lot of rain," he said.

Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama said the state is entering its normal wet season, with a chance of wetter than normal patterns because La Nina conditions replaced El Nino trends last summer.

La Nina conditions, with cooler than normal surface sea temperatures near the equator, cause changes in the weather and possible rain, he said.

Kodama said he is expecting more rain with "guarded optimism" because there have been a couple of La Nina years that have been dry.

Meanwhile, ranchers hard hit by the drought have been receiving subsidies and loans totaling millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Department Secretary Thomas Vilsack designated all four Hawaii counties as farm disaster areas because of the drought.

James Robello, Maui County executive director in the department's Farm Service Agency, said except for 2005, drought conditions have persisted since 2004.

Reach Gary Kubota at gkubota@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 21, 2010 7:45 a.m. HST

DLNR Plans Kaunakakai Harbor Improvement Meeting

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is holding a public informational meeting Dec. 8 on Molokai on proposed Kaunakakai Harbor improvements to serve the Maui-to-Molokai ferry.

The meeting will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole Center, 90 Ainoa St. in Kaunakakai.

Proposed work includes building a covered passenger waiting rea, converting the existing ferry shelter to a comfort station and install new water and sewer lines.

(Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Land and Natural Resources)

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NEWS FLASH - November 21, 2010 6:55 a.m. HST

Maui Taser Case One of 157 in Hawai'i Last Year

Jayzel Mattos felt a pinch on the back of her right hand, then excruciating pain.

She couldn't move or open her eyes, yet she could hear her own screams. She crumpled to the floor of her Wailuku home.

Mattos, 5 feet 3 and 120 pounds at the time, recalled the moments after being shot by a Taser electronic gun by one of four Maui police officers who responded to a domestic disturbance report. Maui police maintain that Mattos was defiant and trying to prevent the arrest of her husband, but she said she was only trying to calm everyone down.

Mattos, a 39-year-old mother who likened the pain to giving birth, said police use of the electronic gun is proper in some situations, but wasn't in her case.

"Any one of them could have pulled me away," she said last week.

Mattos' lawsuit alleging that shooting her with a Taser constituted excessive force in violation of her constitutional rights could help establish standards over the increasing use of the electronic gun by law enforcement here and in other states.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that Mattos' rights weren't violated, but in a rare move will rehear her case and another involving a Seattle woman who was seven months pregnant when she was stunned by the electronic gun during a traffic stop.

Law enforcement officials maintain the Taser is a safe way to subdue unruly and potentially violent suspects and helps reduce injuries to officers and suspects.

But civil rights groups believe the weapon is potentially lethal and should be limited to only the most extreme circumstances.

The hearing, says University of Hawaii law school constitutional law professor Jon Van Dyke, is "extremely important" because the decision will establish "when the use of Tasers will be legitimate, and when it will not be legitimate."

The appeals court will hear the cases on Dec. 14 in Pasadena, Calif., and later render a ruling.

In the 1970s, an early version of the electronic gun was developed by electrical engineer Jack Cover, who named it "TASER," an acronym based on a 1911 novel, "Tom Swift's Electric Rifle."

The current 50,000-volt gun fires dart probes attached to it by wire. The probes can penetrate clothing, inflict pain and immobilize a person. Tasers also can be placed against the body in the "drive-stun" mode to inflict intense pain.

Today, more than 14,000 law enforcement agencies in 40 countries and 29 of the largest 33 cities in the U.S. use the electronic guns, according to Taser International, which sells them.

Tasers were first used by Honolulu police in 2002. Honolulu and neighbor island police have nearly 1,400 Tasers, which are used dozens of times a year, according to the police departments.

Until recently, state law had banned possession of the guns by anyone other than police officers. This year, the state Legislature amended the statute to authorize use by deputy sheriffs and other law enforcement officers of the Department of Public Safety and Department of Land and Natural Resources. But neither department said they would be able to immediately obtain them.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL Liberties Union of Hawaii and Amnesty International have long raised concerns over Tasers. "Our fears about Tasers are that they are being used in situations where that level of force is not justified," said Daniel Gluck, senior staff attorney for the ACLU in Hawaii.

Tasers can reduce the use of firearms by police, but the electronic guns should be used only as an alternative to "lethal force," he said.

Amnesty International reported that from 2001 to 2008, 334 people in the U.S. died after being stunned by Tasers. The report acknowledges that deaths were attributed to other factors, such as drug intoxication, but it said medical examiners and coroners found the Taser shocks caused or contributed to at least 50 deaths.

In Hawaii, no deaths or serious injuries have been linked to Tasers.

All four police departments restrict the use of the electronic gun.

Honolulu police policy, for example, permits the firing of the probe when the suspect is "potentially violent or engaged in active resistance," which is defined as behavior that "physically counteracts" an officer's control and creates a risk of injury to the officer, suspect or any other person.

Unless there are "exceptional circumstances" such as preventing greater injuries, the gun's use is prohibited in cases that include a woman known to be pregnant or a person fleeing from custody, engaging in peaceful civil disobedience, or driving a car.

Neighbor Island police report that no officer has been disciplined for improper use of the gun. One Honolulu officer was disciplined in 2009 for not abiding by the electric gun policy, according to annual police disciplinary reports submitted to the state Legislature.

The officer was suspended for a day, but the circumstances and the officer's name were not disclosed.

Police Capt. Clyde Ho of the Honolulu department's professional standards office said the Taser is an alternative to physical confrontation.

"Nobody really gets hurt," he said. "I don't get punched. You don't get punched. I don't use a baton or anything to control you."

Ronald Becker, head of the criminal justice program at Chaminade University, said the last thing he wanted to do when he was a Montana deputy sheriff was grapple with a resisting suspect.

"It's going to take all the abilities that I have for both of us to get out of this safely," he said.

He said the increasing use of the Tasers among law enforcement agencies shows that it is an appropriate use of "intermediate force" when properly deployed. "Nobody's suggesting it be used in a cavalier fashion," he said.

Ho said the department methodically reviewed the use of Tasers when they were first obtained and tested in 2002 under a law enforcement grant.

Most of the officers who have been trained on the use of Tasers agreed to be stunned by the gun to help them understand the effects, he said.

The feedback from the officers is that displaying the gun also deters suspects from resisting police.

"The officers love it," he said. "Ideally, we would like every officer out in the field to have one."

THE ONLY TWO known lawsuits in Hawaii over the use of Tasers are against Maui police officers. Honolulu civil rights attorney Eric Seitz filed both of them.

Seitz acknowledged the police department has regulations on the use of Tasers, but said he believes the officers use their Tasers more times than necessary.

"The prevailing view is that we can't shoot people with our side arms, so let's use our Tasers instead, rather than going through an analysis and assessment on whether that level of lethal force is warranted," he said.

In one of the suits, Julio Ramos was shot with a Taser by Maui officer John Bowker at Baldwin Beach Park in Paia after it was closed the night of April 7, 2007. Ramos and Tiare Lee told the officer they were fishing and refused to leave.

Harassment and disorderly conduct charges against Ramos were later dismissed.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, Maui County last month settled the case for $15,000.

Maui Deputy Corporation Counsel Moana Lutey said the settlement was "beneficial to both sides."

Seitz also represents Mattos, the mother of seven children, including a stepchild.

Police, Seitz said, ended up shooting the woman they went to the Wailuku home to protect.

The lawsuit was filed after harassment and obstructing government operations charges against Mattos were dismissed.

The pinch she felt on her right hand was from one probe. The other struck her in the chest.

Maui county sought a ruling throwing out the suit, arguing that the use of the Taser wasn't excessive force in view of the potentially dangerous circumstances. More police officers are injured or killed in responding to domestic abuse calls than any other type of call, the county said.

U. S. District Judge David Ezra denied Maui county's request.

The decision enabled the case to proceed to trial so as to sort out conflicting claims, including Maui police officers' claim that Mattos challenged them to "Tase me." Mattos denies making that remark.

In January, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed Ezra. The panel called the issue a "close one," but held that even by Mattos' account, police did not use excessive force.

The panel said the officers went to the home late Aug. 23, 2006, and met Mattos' 6-foot-3, 200-pound husband Troy, who was outside the home with a couple of beer bottles lying near him.

When they asked to see his wife to make sure she was safe, the husband went inside to get her but became upset when officer Darren Agarano stepped inside the doorway.

Mattos tried to calm down her husband and the officers so they wouldn't awaken her sleeping children, the panel said in outlining Mattos' account of the incident.

When officer Ryan Aikala moved to arrest the husband, he bumped Mattos, who put up her hands against Aikala's chest when he pressed against her, according to the panel.

Aikala stepped back, asked whether she was touching an officer and shot Mattos with the Taser, the panel said.

Maui County presented evidence that the Taser has proved to be "extremely safe" and that the voltage applied to the body uses less electricity than for a single bulb on a string of Christmas tree lights, the panel said.

The panel said the county's assertion suggests that rather than showing that the Taser is harmless, "we (ought to) be more careful with our Christmas tree lights."

The panel, however, said Mattos was trying to prevent the arrest of her husband in a potentially "explosive situation." Police are not obligated to use the least amount of force, the panel said.

"In this heated situation, Aikala's deployment of a Taser did not violate Jayzel's constitutional rights," the panel said.

Last month, the appeals court ordered the rehearing, which is reserved for cases that will help resolve differences among the circuit's panels or include "a question of exceptional importance."

The ACLU chapters of Seattle and Hawaii, the National Police Accountability Project and the Human Rights Defense Center submitted papers urging the judges to allow the case to proceed to trial to determine whether the electronic guns violated the constitutional rights of Mattos and the Seattle woman.

The cases could have even more significance if the losing side seeks a review of the 9th Circuit's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on the use of Tasers and would issue a decision that would apply throughout the country.

TASER DECISIONS

Police use of Tasers has divided the judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals along the lines of the political party of the president who appointed them.

Of the nine judges who sat on three separate panels in three cases, five who were appointed by Republican presidents found in favor of the police. The other four appointees of Democratic presidents ruled that the use of the electronic gun could be violations of constitutional rights.

The names of the 11 judges who will rehear the Malaika Brooks and Jayzel Mattos cases on Dec. 14 have not yet been announced by the court.

The three cases and the judges:

BRYAN V. MCPHERSON issued Dec. 28, 2009:

Officer Brian McPherson shot Carl Bryan from 20 to 25 feet away after a traffic stop in Coronado, Colo., for a seat belt violation. Bryan, who wore only boxer shorts and tennis shoes, was agitated and yelling gibberish, but did not orally threaten the officer. The officer claimed Bryan took a step toward him. Bryan fell, fracturing four teeth and suffering bruises on his face.

Appeals judges Harry Pregerson and Stephen Reinhardt, President Carter appointees, and Kim McLane Wardlaw, a President Clinton appointee, refused to throw out Bryan's lawsuit. They ruled that he could proceed to press claims that the Taser use was unconstitutionally excessive.

BROOKS V. CITY OF SEATTLE, March 26:

During a traffic stop, Malaika Brooks, who was seven months pregnant, refused to sign a notice of speeding in a school zone. Three officers tried to arrest her, but she refused to get out of the car. Officer Donald Jones placed the Taser against her thigh and fired in the "drive-stun" mode. He did it twice more to her shoulder and neck. She was medically treated. Two months later, she delivered a healthy baby.

Appeals judges Cynthia Hall and Diarmuid O'Scannlain, President Reagan appointees, ruled that police did not use excessive force.

They found that "this case presents a less-than-intermediate use of force, prefaced by warnings and other attempts to obtain compliance, against a suspect accused of a minor crime, but actively resisting arrest, out of police control, and posing some slight threat to the officers."

Appeals Judge Marsha Berzon, a Clinton appointee, dissented. "I fail utterly to comprehend how my colleagues are able to conclude that it was objectively reasonable to use any force against Brooks, let alone three activations of a Taser, in response to such a trivial offense."

MATTOS v. MAUI COUNTY, Jan. 12:

Jayzel Mattos was shot by a Taser gun by one of four Maui police officers who went to her Wailuku home after a domestic disturbance was reported. When officer Ryan Aikala moved to arrest the husband, he bumped against Mattos. She held up her hands and touched Aikala's chest. He stepped back and shot her with the Taser.

Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, a Reagan appointee, and judges Jay Bybee and Consuelo Callahan, President George W. Bush appointees, found no constitutional violation.

Reach Ken Kobiyashi at kkobiyashi@staradvertioser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 20, 2010 8:30 a.m. HST

Washout Closes Pi'ilani Highway at Kaupo

Dirt Road is completely washed out at milepost 49.5 Piilani Hwy Kaupo. The block was first discovered last night.

State Hwys Department closed Piilani Highway in the Pahihi Gulch and Nu'u landing area due to a dirt road being washed out last night. They will be working on reopening the roadway today.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 20, 2010 7:50 a.m. HST

Colt Brennan's Condition Still 'Serious,' Stable

Former University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan was hospitalized today in Kona with head trauma, several broken ribs and a broken left clavicle after being involved in a two-car accident on the Big Island.

His father, Terry Brennan, told the Star-Advertiser Friday afternoon that his son is listed in stable condition. Colt Brennan was sedated after being transported from the Big Island to Oahu at about 4 p.m. Friday. The Queen's Medical Center lists him in serious condition.

"We're upset," Terry Brennan said. "We're hopeful all of the victims are OK. This is our worst nightmare. You always worry about safety, whether you're in Hawaii or on the mainland."

Police confirmed this afternoon that Brennan was a passenger in an SUV driven by Shakti Stream, 27, of Kona. It was traveling north on Queen Kaahumanu Highway near the 90-mile marker at about 9:30 a.m.Friday. It crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Saab sedan.

A fire department official at the scene said Brennan was stuck in the vehicle and that Stream had managed to crawl out. Both were taken to Kona Community Hospital in serious condition. The driver of the Saab, a 47-year-old Waikoloa woman whose identity the police did not release, was taken to North Kohala also in serious condition.

The highway was temporarily closed and re-opened at about 11:15 a.m. yesterday.

Police have opened two negligent injury investigations. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. It is undetermined if speed, alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

Brennan has been spending time on the Big Island after being released by the Oakland Raiders this summer. Last month, he had an exploratory workout with the Houston Texans.

Brennan, a record-setting quarterback for the Warriors, was drafted in the sixth round by the Washington Redskins in the 2008 National Football League Draft.

After undergoing four surgeries, he was released by the Redskins before the start of training camp this summer.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 20, 2010 6:40 a.m. HST

UH Proposes 'Most Energy Efficient Campus' for Big Island

HONOLULU - University of Hawaii officials signed a deal Friday to build a new community college in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island, which they say will be the most energy-efficient campus in the nation.

Hawaii Community College Palamanui will enroll about 700 students starting in fall 2012 and feature windmills, photovoltaic cells, waterless toilets and sewage treatment for its 78-acre campus.

"I see this as an educational opportunity, not just a construction project," said University of Hawaii System President M.R.C. Greenwood, who signed the agreement with builder Palamanui Partners. "We may be able to use what we learn from this to improve other facilities."

The first phase of the college's infrastructure and construction will cost nearly $14 million, including more than $9 million in private investment from Palamanui Partners, which also is to add housing units, a business park and a town center nearby.

Most of the campus' students will come from the University of Hawaii Center-West Hawaii, which currently enrolls about 525 students in rented space at Kealakekua Shopping Center.

After the first phase of the college is complete, plans call for the campus to be expanded until its enrollment grows to 1,500 students. The university system is raising money for the second phase.

Energy-conservation efforts should make the campus a "net zero" project because it will produce as much power as it consumes, said architect John Ida of Urban Works, Inc.

Buildings, built within the contours of lava flows, will face the sun to collect the most amount of sun power through its solar panels as possible, he said. Sewage treatment will separate water from solids, allowing water to be reused for landscaping.

The campus will meet the highest standards of the U.S. Green Building Council - the Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design platinum designation, he said.

"This is an enlightened approach that permits us to bring the best quality educational opportunity to a part of our state - that is the West Hawaii area - where we know that we have a great number of underserved population," Greenwood said.

Groundbreaking on an access road to the future campus will take place before the end of the year.

Construction on Hawaii Community College Palamanui is expected to begin by fall of next year.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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Refuse Collection Disrupted in Parts of Haiku

HAIKU, Maui, Hawaii—The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, announced that regularly scheduled residential refuse collection was disrupted in Haiku today due to mechanical issues. The affected roads include Kauhikoa Road, W. Kuiaha Road and Haiku Road.

Refuse is expected to be picked up on Saturday. The Solid Waste Division apologizes for the inconvenience.

For more information, please call the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, at 270-7875.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 19, 2010 2 p.m. HST

Flash Flooding Watch Stays Until 6 p.m.

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CONTINUED the FLASH FLOOD WATCH for MAUI in effect until 6:00 p.m. this evening. The Flash Flood Watch for Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe has been cancelled.

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Please monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued.

2. EFFECTS: An upper level trough moving from west to east across the Island chain will produce showers and thunderstorms, with locally heavy downpours possible.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: RAINFALL AND RUNOFF WILL ALSO CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO PONDING, REDUCED VISIBILITY AND POOR BRAKING ACTION. DO NOT CROSS FAST FLOWING OR RISING WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. TURN AROUND...DON’T DROWN.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 19, 2010 9:15 a.m. HST

Flash Flooding Still Possible on Maui

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CONTINUED the FLASH FLOOD WATCH for MAUI COUNTY in effect until this afternoon.

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Please monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued.

2. EFFECTS: An upper level trough moving from west to east across the Island chain will produce showers and thunderstorms, with locally heavy downpours possible.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: RAINFALL AND RUNOFF WILL ALSO CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO PONDING, REDUCED VISIBILITY AND POOR BRAKING ACTION. DO NOT CROSS FAST FLOWING OR RISING WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. TURN AROUND...DON’T DROWN.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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Abercrombie Won't Attend News Governors' Conference

Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie won't attend a Colorado seminar for new governors because his mother-in-law is ill.

Spokesman Jim McCoy said Thursday that Abercrombie needs to give his mother-in-law his immediate attention.

His chief of staff, Amy Asselbaye, and his deputy chief of staff, Andrew Aoki, will travel to the conference instead.

The three-day biennial, bipartisan event features a series of workshops and business sessions led by veteran governors.

The experienced governors will discuss such issues as management of executive budgets, shaping a vision for their administrations, strategic scheduling, communications and emergency preparedness.

This weekend's seminar in Colorado Springs is sponsored by the National Governors Association.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 19, 2010 6:50 a.m. HST

Washington Man Burglarizes Kihei Vet Clinic

A Washington state man was arrested early yesterday for an alleged break-in at Kihei Veterinary Clinic, police told the Maui News.

A caller reported the burglary at 2:08 a.m. after walking a dog.

Lt. Tim Gapero said a responding officer detained someone matching the description of the intruder. Toby Rubbert, 30, was charged with second-degree burglary. His bail was set at $5,000.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 18, 2010 5:20 p.m. HST

Unemployment Benefits Extension Fails to Pass

HONOLULU – The State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced today that the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program will expire on November 30, 2010 after the U.S. House of Representatives today failed to pass a bill that would have provided a three-month extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed. EUC benefits are paid to individuals who exhaust the 26 weeks of statefunded regular benefits. The 47 weeks of EUC benefits are divided into three tier levels and individuals must exhaust each tier before moving on to the next level.

Individuals who exhaust their tier of benefits after November 30, 2010 will not be able to move to the next tier. In addition, individuals who exhaust regular benefits after the week ending November 20, 2010 will not be eligible for EUC benefits. All EUC benefit payments will stop on April 30, 2011.

“The end of the EUC program means that each month approximately 1,600 individuals who exhaust their 26 weeks of regular benefits will not be able to apply for the first tier of federal EUC benefits,” said Colleen LaClair, deputy director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. “In addition, 2,500 individuals who exhaust their first and second tier of EUC benefits each month will not be able to move to the next tier of benefits.”

Between June 2008 and July 2010, there were eight pieces of federal legislation which created, amended and extended the EUC program over the past two-and-a-half years:
• Public Law 110-252, Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on 6/30/08. Provided 13 weeks of EUC benefits.
• Public Law 110-449, Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, signed by President Bush on 11/21/08. Provided an additional 7 weeks on Tier I and created Tier II with 13 additional weeks for states with IUR of 4% or TUR of 6%.
• Public Law 111-5, The Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act, signed by President Obama on 2/17/09. Extended EUC program from 3/31/09 to 12/31/09.
• Public Law 111-92, The Workers, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on 11/6/09. Expanded Tier II to 14 weeks and created Tier III of 13 weeks for states with IUR of 4% or TUR of
6%. Also created Tier IV of 6 weeks for states with IUR of 6% and TUR of 8.5%. (Hawai`i did not qualify for Tier IV.)
• Public Law 111-118, The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, signed by President Obama on 12/19/09. Extended EUC program from 12/31/09 to 2/28/10.
• Public Law 111-144, The Temporary Extension Act of 2010, signed by President Obama on 3/2/10. Extended the EUC program from 2/28/10 to 4/5/10.
• Public Law 111-157, The Continuing Extension Act of 2010, signed by President Obama on 4/15/10. Extended the EUC program from 4/5/10 to 6/2/10.
• Public Law 111-205, The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, signed by President Obama on 7/22/10. Extended the EUC program from 6/2/10 to 11/30/10.

In Hawai‘i, over $400 million in EUC benefits have been paid out to 48,000 claimants since the program started in July 2008.

Unemployed workers should update their information on Hirenet Hawaii, the state’s online job listing service, and seek free job assistance services at the One-Stop Career Centers. For more information and assistance, go to http://hirenethawaii.com or http://hawaii.gov/labor/rapidresponse.

(Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)

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Flash Flood Watch Issued for Maui County

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has ISSUED a FLASH FLOOD WATCH for MAUI COUNTY through Friday afternoon.

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Please monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued.

2. EFFECTS: Moisture and instability associated with an old front will create heavy showers and thunderstorms by early Friday as it progresses over the Islands.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: RAINFALL AND RUNOFF WILL ALSO CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO PONDING, REDUCED VISIBILITY AND POOR BRAKING ACTION. DO NOT CROSS FAST FLOWING OR RISING WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. TURN AROUND...DON’T DROWN.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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Fake 'Health Inspectors' Targeting Hawai'i Restaurants

HONOLULU -- The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) is warning restaurants about “fake” health inspectors, who may be trying illegally to obtain sensitive information about restaurant employers or employees. Restaurants are urged to ask for proper identification, and call the DOH if they have any doubts.

The DOH Sanitation Branch offices on O‘ahu has received a number of reports that a male caller(s) has been contacting local restaurants claiming to be from the local Health Department investigating a complaint. The caller stated that the DOH is investigating an outbreak or has received complaints regarding the establishment and would be coming at a later date or after hours to make an inspection. Similar scams have occurred on the mainland in an effort to obtain sensitive information about employers/employees.

The DOH typically does not call a food establishment prior to a routine inspection or when investigating a complaint, and DOH health inspectors must always wear or display their DOH issued identification before entering an establishment. Food establishments should make sure that anyone claiming to be a health inspector has proper DOH identification. Only DOH sanitarians and food and drug inspectors enter food establishments to investigate health-related complaints or to make routine inspections. If you have any questions regarding the identification of a sanitarian (health inspector) please call the Sanitation Branch at 586-8000, if the person claims to be a food and drug Inspector please call the DOH Food and Drug Branch at 586-4725.

PHONE NUMBERS for Neighbor Islands
Hilo District Health Office 933-0917
Kona District Health Office 322-1507
Kaua‘i District Health Office 241-3323
Maui District Health 984-8230

(Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Health)

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NEWS FLASH - November 18, 2010 6:45 a.m. HST

Visitor Critically Injured in Motorcycle Crash

A California man is in critical condition this morning following a motorcycle on the Haleakala Crater Road yesterday.

Maui Police say the 63 year-old man, visiting from Tuolomne, CA, was critically injured when the rented 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle he was riding left the road and impacted a rock retaining wall. The lone operator was ejected from the motorcycle and fell down an embankment. The incident took place around 3:25 p.m. The man was traveling downhill when the crash occurred.

He was transferred to Maui Memorial Medical Center where his condition has been reported as critical.

(Information Provided by the Maui Police Department)

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PBS Raises $1.2M for Statewide Student News Network

PBS Hawaii has received $1.2 million in donations to launch the country's first statewide student news network.

The Hiki No project is expected to deliver community-based news and information to the entire state through PBS Hawaii's television broadcasts and web site.

The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation has donated $225,000 to the program, while tw telecom Honolulu has given $119,000. Donations from individuals topped $70,000.

The first newscast is due to air in February. PBS Hawaii says it initially expects to carry one newscast a week but it will eventually broadcast six a week.

PBS Hawaii President & CEO Leslie Wilcox said Tuesday that Hiki No will fill gaps in community information and engagement.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 16, 2010 8:55 p.m. HST

Accident Closes Lower Main in Wailuku

(Editor's Note: The accident was cleared and the road reopened at 10:20 p.m.)

Maui Police report that a traffic accident has closed Lower Main Street in Wailuku between Mill Street and Waena Street due to a traffic accident.

No other details are available at this time.

(Information Provided by the Maui Police Department)

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Hawaii's 'False Killer Whales' Proposed for Endangered Status

The federal government said Tuesday it will recommend that a small population of dolphins living near Hawaii be placed on the endangered species list.

Only about 150 or 170 of the dolphins, known as false killer whales, live in waters up to 87 miles off Hawaii's coasts. A study published by the National Marine Fisheries Service in August said the small population is at high risk of suffering from inbreeding. It's also at risk of being inadvertently snagged by fishing lines.

The agency plans to post its recommendation in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

Michael Jasny, a senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which last year petitioned the government to list the population, said the animal needs help.

"When you have a population that's as small as this one, as range-limited as this one, and on such a dangerous trajectory as this one, action is desperately needed," Jasny said. "This is precisely the kind of situation that the Endangered Species Act was designed for."

False killer whales can grow as long as 16 feet and weigh more than 1 ton, and are usually black or dark gray. They don't look like killer whales, despite their name.

The species is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide including off Maryland, Japan, Australia and Scotland.

A few hundred live in waters farther from Hawaii's shores, but this pelagic population is separate from the group that lives closer in.

Earlier this year a federal advisory group recommended that longline fishermen catching ahi, mahimahi and other fish use a different kind of hook to minimize the chances they will severe injure or kill the dolphins when they accidentally get snagged on their lines.

The government formed the advisory group in response to data showing the Hawaii-based longline fleet is accidentally killing or seriously injuring an average of 7.4 false killer whales each year.

This exceeds the 2.5 per year that the population can lose without hurting its ability to sustain itself.

The group also recommended that fleet captains undergo training on how to release any mistakenly caught false killer whales in a way that minimizes the risk of harm.

The dolphins tend to get caught by in longlines because they eat the fish that fishermen have snagged for human consumption: yellowfin tuna, mahimahi and ono.

The National Marine Fisheries Service plans to host a public meeting on its recommendation Jan. 20 in Honolulu and accept public comment on the issue through Feb. 15.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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Maui County Due Millions in Road Projects

WAILUKU - Departing Maui County Council Member Jo Anne Johnson on Monday said she wants to see her successors make certain that some developers and homeowners are held responsible for road projects built by Maui County - with taxpayer money - to support new, small, private subdivisions.

The county could be owed millions of dollars because of uncollected fees for road improvement projects done over a three-decade period for subdivisions of three lots or less, council members and county officials revealed Monday during a Planning Committee meeting.

Public Works Department Director Milton Arakawa said officials know as many as 1,800 "deferral agreements" for subdivisions that size. From 1974 until 2007, developers could either do the work themselves or ask the county to do it, deferring payment. The ordinance was changed so now property owners must build the widened roads, sidewalks and other agreed-upon improvements themselves.

The number of agreements could range in the thousands, Johnson and Arakawa said, but finding out who owes what would be very labor intensive, county staff said. Further complicating the situation are probable multiple ownership changes over the years, debtors moving away and perhaps deaths of originators of the improved properties, Johnson said.

"This is sobering information," said Council Member Gladys Baisa. "What boggles me is the amount of money undetermined or unclaimed by the county."

The actual amount owed is unknown; and it was also unclear Monday whether the county has the resources and correct laws on the books to collect the money.

For instance, there also is no database listing all the agreements made. Arakawa said there are 10,700 files for subdivisions and lot improvements that size.

Council Member Mike Victorino called the revelation "astonishing."

Going through it all manually would take an incredible amount of human resources, something the county especially can't afford during the economic downturn, several county officials said.

"I cannot tell you why this has not occurred during this entire 33-year time frame," Arakawa said when asked by committee members why people were allowed not to pay what they obviously owed.

Johnson said she was open to the idea of re-negotiating invoices, setting up payment plans or even granting amnesty in certain cases. She's been pushing for the Public Works Department to move forward on doing something about the problem for about a year, according to committee documents.

Johnson is leaving her West Maui residency seat after the new year because of term limits. The powerful Planning Committee has been bogged down for months dealing with the General Plan 2030 Update and has only a few meetings before four of its seven voting members must leave office.

Chairman Sol Kaho'ohalahala is among them. He, at Johnson's request, agreed to defer the matter for further study. No legislation has been proposed yet.

With a new mayor coming in as well, Alan Arakawa, Johnson used Monday's meeting to call on the next administration and council to pursue the matter. It could be a valuable source of revenue in a time of budget stringency and cuts.

Finance Director Kalbert Young said there could be liens, deed restrictions or other contractual methods already in place against property owners. That could be one way of approaching the issue, he said.

"This could be millions and millions and millions of dollars owed this county," Victorino said in agreeing this should be a government priority.

Victorino said that he and Johnson became aware of the issue as county officials investigated how to pay for improvements to an upcoming phase of construction to Lower Honoapiilani Road.

Milton Arakawa said that for any subdivision with four lots of more, the developer has always needed to pay for the road improvements before he could get final subdivision approval.

But because of past policy, apparently, the smaller lots were given the deferrals, he said.

"So have you guys been collecting on it?" said Council Member Wayne Nishiki.

"No, we have not," Arakawa said.

Nishiki, who will also be out of office come January, suggested that the county hire a private contractor, such as a collection agency, to get back what's owed to the county. He also said that council members need "to bite" the Public Works Department to get the developers to pay for the road improvements.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Michael Hopper said the County Council may need to craft laws in order to collect the fees and also to determine if the subdivision developer or homeowner would be responsible for a lesser amount of money.

Milton Arakawa said there is no billing or payment system in place to accept money for these projects.

"I don't see any reason why the county can't collect on those agreements," Hopper said.

The Planning Committee also considered a draft bill by Kaho'ohalahala that would establish new "agriculture impact fees" for when ag land is converted to nonagricultural needs. The revenue would go toward agricultural preservation and conservation practices.

Planning Department Director Kathleen Aoki said this tool is relatively new but is similar to other laws implemented across the United States in recent years. Her concern, though, is the high cost of studies associated with the new fee, which can be as much as $250,000, not including staff time, she said. The studies are needed, in part, to avoid lawsuits, Aoki said.

Planning staff said that if the council wants to implement agricultural impact fees, it should be part of a larger package of legislation in coordination with existing state and federal laws used to preserve coastal access and wetlands.

However, Baisa said she thought that this bill "is kind of premature."

She noted opposition from the Realtors Association of Maui, which expressed concerns that the bill would for no reason negatively affect the agricultural zoning of longtime non-ag properties, such as country stores and rural churches. Meanwhile, Maui County continues to have thousands of acres of "fallow agricultural lands."

The organization suggested that the county instead follow the state constitution and Act 183 of the 2005 Legislature, which called on county officials to identify and apply to protect "important agricultural lands," according to a letter by Dave DeLeon of the Realtors association.

But with a finite amount of land in Hawaii, Kaho'ohalahala said he was worried that many county lands would continue to be categorized as "rubbish lands" - as they have been in the past - if their ag use is not immediately apparent.

He said he expects that attitude to change as food and energy sustainability efforts continue to grow. Everyone knows the state is 90 percent reliant on imported foods, and that food sustainability and security is a top priority these days, he said.

"I think it's come to the point where we need some tools to further implement agriculture," Kaho'ohalahala said.

He also recommended that the next council push for county officials to study all of the available ag lands, so "we can feed our people."

Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.

(Report Provided by The Maui News)

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NEWS FLASH - November 16, 2010 9 a.m. HST

County Records 12th Traffic Fatality of 2010

A man was killed late last night in a car-pedestrain accident in Kahului.

Maui police say that, shortly before 10 p.m., a 2005 Lexus sedan was traveling west on Ka'ahumanu Avenue at Wharf Street across from the Maui Mall. The car struck a 49 year-old man who was crossing the street. The Lexus was driven by a 64 year-old Wailuku man. He was not injured. The pedestrian was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

The accident victim has no known local address on Maui. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The involvement of speed, alcohol and drugs are being investigated in the crash. This is Maui County's 12th traffic death in 2010. There were 20 traffic fatalities on Maui at this time last year.

(Information Provided by the Maui Police Department)

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Surf Dropping Below Advisory Levels

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CANCELLED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI.

2. EFFECTS: Surf will be below advisory levels today.

Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will lower to 10 to 14 feet late this morning.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS OF THE DECLINING SURF.

4. INFORMATION: This will be the last Maui County Civil Defense notification on this event.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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Kihei Business Owes $10,000,000 to Maui Residents

The Mortgage Store Inc., a Kihei-based business established in 1996, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, owing more than $10 million to more than 100 Maui residents. The company lists debts of nearly $14.7 million, and assets of about $14 million, mostly in personal property and real property.

The company was "not doing that much mortgage business," said Ryther Barbin, attorney for the company. "People were lending money to the Mortgage Store ... and they were taking the money and investing it, doing very well."

The company "started getting into trouble when values started to go down on properties and there were not enough assets to cover all the liabilities, so they shut down and that's when they came to me," Barbin said.

Most of the creditors are holding unsecured promissory notes that were to have given them a 7 percent rate of return, he said.

However, "there are substantial assets ... and creditors will get substantial returns," though it is not likely they will receive 100 percent, Barbin said.

The assets to be liquidated are primarily real properties in Texas "where the economy is in pretty good shape, and so the trustee will liquidate the assets and then pay the money out."

Both the state Securities and Consumer Protection offices confirmed that securities-related complaints had been filed against the company, but the complaints are just being investigated and are unresolved.

Reach Erika Engle at erika@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 16, 2010 6:40 a.m. HST

"Googoojagoob" = ChaChing for iTunes

SEATTLE — "Beatles for Sale" is finally for sale on iTunes — along with the rest of the Fab Four's albums, from "Please Please Me" to "Revolver" to "Abbey Road."

The Beatles had been the most prominent holdout from iTunes and other online music services. On Tuesday, Apple Inc. said its iTunes store will start selling downloads of songs and albums from the group, in an agreement with the Beatles' recording label, EMI Group Ltd., and its management company, Apple Corps Ltd.

Apple will sell 13 remastered Beatles studio albums, the two-volume "Past Masters" set and the classic "Red" and "Blue" collections. People can buy individual songs for $1.29 apiece or download entire albums, at $12.99 for a single album and $19.99 for a double.

For $149, Apple is also selling a special digital box set that includes a download of the 41-minute movie of the Beatles' first U.S. concert, "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964."

Until Tuesday, Apple Corps had resisted selling Beatles music as online downloads. The situation was exacerbated by a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps. It was resolved in 2007 when the companies agreed on joint use of the apple logo and name, and many people saw that as paving the way for an agreement for online access to Beatles songs.

With the Beatles now in Apple's music store, the number of holdouts has dwindled. Garth Brooks, Kid Rock and AC/DC are among the remaining artists who refuse to sell their work through Apple. Some want more control over pricing or the ability to force shoppers to download entire albums instead of individual songs.

Until now, to listen to Beatles songs on iPods, you'd have to obtain a CD and "rip" an online version of it — or find someone who already has, legalities aside.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, couldn't resist celebrating the Beatles' arrival on iTunes with an obvious quip.

"It has been a long and winding road to get here," he said in a statement, referencing the song "The Long and Winding Road" from the Beatles' 1970 "Let it Be" album.

"Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we've had since we launched iTunes ten years ago," Jobs said.

In a press release, former band members and their relatives all gave the deal their blessings, including Sir Paul McCartney; Beatles drummer Ringo Starr; Yoko Ono Lennon, John Lennon's widow; and Olivia Harrison, widow of George Harrison.

"I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes," Starr said.

The deal gives Apple a sweet public relations boost at the start of the holiday shopping season, but sales of Beatles music won't make much of a financial impact on the company.

Brian Marshall, an analyst for Gleacher & Co., said he believes Beatles fans with iPods and other digital music players have already converted their physical CDs into digital tracks. Even if people do rush to their computers for a "Yellow Submarine" fix, Apple's other businesses are the real moneymakers. In the most recent quarter, Apple's revenue was $20.3 billion, and iTunes sales made up just 5 percent, Marshall said.

For the music industry, the arrival of the Beatles for download might mean even less.

"The digital music market (and the young music fans record labels desperately need to get engaged) need new music products, not yesteryear's hits repackaged," said Mark Mulligan, a Forrester analyst, in a statement.

Apple swapped out its home page design for a black and white image of the Beatles in silhouette.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., will also be running a series of minimalist television commercials that combine footage and photos of the band with classic songs such as "All You Need is Love" and "Let it Be."

Apple shares slipped $5.62, or 1.8 percent, to $301.41 in midday trading Tuesday.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 15, 2010 4:35 p.m. HST

Waves Dropping, Still Big Along North Shores

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has continued the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday.

A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.

2. EFFECTS: The large west northwest swell continues to affect most of the Hawaiian Islands. Surf heights will become lower early on Tuesday.

Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 10 to 15 feet through early Tuesday morning, lowering to 4 to 8 feet late Tuesday.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 2.0 feet is expected between 11:00 p.m. tonight and 1:18 a.m. tomorrow morning.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 15, 2010 3:30 p.m. HST

More Than 2,400 Job Seekers Contact Abercrombie Office

The Abercrombie Transition received 2,430 resumes submitted through the NewDayHawaii.org website as of 11 a.m. today.

Today is the suggested date for applicants interested in working for the Abercrombie Administration to submit their resumes via the website as the review of applications begins this morning. Transition Director Bill Kaneko emphasized that today is not a final deadline and people can continue to submit applications until all positions are filled.

“We have received an enthusiastic response from thousands of people who want to serve the public by working in the Abercrombie Administration,” Kaneko said. “We are looking for people who are dedicated to Governor-Elect Abercrombie’s vision of a New Day in Hawaii and who can work effectively with our diverse communities.”

No decisions on Cabinet members or other positions have been made. Kaneko will be in charge of a process reaching out to many members of the community to identify highly qualified applicants.

“Governor-Elect Abercrombie will be making all the decisions as to who will serve on his leadership team,” Kaneko said. “We continue to encourage everyone to participate by applying or identifying talented public servants who are ready to face the political and fiscal challenges in Hawaii today.”

Kaneko noted that all members of the public are encouraged to submit their input through the NewDayHawaii.org website, which was launched on Nov. 4.

(Report Provided by the Office of Neil Abercrombie)

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NEWS FLASH - November 15, 2010 8:20 a.m. HST

Waves Higher Than 20 Feet Expeted Today for North Shores

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CONTINUED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday.

A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.

2. EFFECTS: A large west northwest swell will continue to affect most of the Hawaiian Islands, with surf heights peaking later today. This large swell will gradually subside from tonight through Tuesday.

Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 18 to 22 feet today.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 1.5 feet is expected between 10:12 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. this morning. The next high tide of approximately 2.0 feet is expected between 11:00 p.m. and 1:18 a.m. tomorrow morning.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 15, 2010 6:50 a.m. HST

Racial Attackes Feared if Identities Revealed in Kamehameha Case

A federal appeals court ruling that rejected a challenge to the Kamehameha Schools admissions practice includes a heated debate over whether four non-Hawaiian students would be subject to racial attacks if their identities were revealed.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order last week denying a request by the four for a rehearing on the issue of whether they may anonymously pursue a lawsuit contesting the schools' preferential policy for students with Hawaiian blood.

But attached to the ruling were lengthy dissents and a defense of the decision that are rare for orders on rehearing requests.

Chief Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski and Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote strongly worded dissents, referring to "Kill Haole Day" at Hawaii's schools and arguing the four would be endangered in a "racially charged environment."

Three other judges defended the order, pointing out that, historically, the names of juveniles in significant civil rights cases have been disclosed. The cases, they wrote, include Brayden Mohica-Cummings' 2003 lawsuit challenging the Kamehameha policy and the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregation.

U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright was correct when he denied the students' request to proceed anonymously, the three wrote.

Paul Alston, Kamehameha Schools' attorney, who said he was pleased but not surprised by the order, called the dissents "factually wrong and just off-based."

David Rosen, lawyer for the four, said he found it interesting that the two dissenting judges felt so strongly.

"Obviously, we agree with them," he said.

Rosen said it is likely they will appeal.

If the Supreme Court declines to review the decision, last week's order signals the end of the only pending court challenge to the admissions policy.

The four filed their lawsuit after a similar suit by an unidentified, non-Hawaiian student and his mother settled with Kamehameha Schools for $7 million in 2007 just before the high court was to decide whether to hear the case.

In that case the 9th Circuit had ruled 8-7 that the schools' policy did not violate the Civil Rights Act.

Kamehameha Schools did not oppose the student's remaining anonymous, but objected when the four also sought anonymity. U.S. Magistrate Barry Kurren and later, Seabright, ruled that the four did not establish that they would be imperiled.

Earlier this year, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld the rulings, expressing sympathy with the students and parents but asserting that the Hawaii judges were within their discretion in finding the students' fears "unreasonable."

Lawyers for the four asked for a larger "en banc" panel of 11 appeals judges to rehear the case. The order last week denied that request.

In dissent, Kozinski quoted anonymous online remarks saying the students "would have to watch their backs for the rest of their lives." If similar threats were made against him or his family, he would call U.S. marshals, he wrote.

"No litigant should fear for his safety, or that of his family, as a condition of seeking justice," he wrote.

Kozinski agreed with Reinhardt, who wrote a separate dissent that described Hawaii has a "racially charged environment."

"In recent years, Hawaii has endured a spate of anti-Caucasian violence," he wrote. "The last day in Hawaiian schools, for example, has long been known as 'Kill Haole Day,' with white students - 'haoles' - targeted for harassment and physical abuse."

Alston said Kurren and Seabright found that the angry remarks did not have credibility or substance.

The dissenters, Alston said, "should have given credence to the assessments made by judges in the community instead of blowing up the snippets that were taken out of context."

Appeals Judges Robert Beezer, Susan Graber and Raymond Fisher, who wrote the earlier decision denying the four from proceeding anonymously, defended last week's order.

"Consider, for instance, that in the past students have used their real names when challenging Kamehameha's admissions processes," their opinion said. "Not only that, those students have since prevailed and enrolled in the school, with no incidents whatsoever, either in class or in public."

They also cited the four's own statements that they did not fear "possible retaliation and ostracism" at the schools if they were admitted.

Reach Ken Kobiyashi at kkobiyashi@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 14, 2010 7:20 a.m. HST

Waves Higher Than 20 Feet Heading for North Shores

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has ISSUED a HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday.

A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.

2. EFFECTS: A new west northwest swell is on its way to the Islands. Look for surf heights to steadily rise along most north facing beaches today and tonight. Surf heights will max out Monday morning between 18 and 22 feet along the north facing shores of Molokai and Maui.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 2.1 feet is expected between 9:31 a.m. and 10:49 a.m. this morning. The next high tide of approximately 0.4 feet is expected between 11:22 p.m. and 1:34 a.m. tomorrow morning.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 13, 2010 5:30 p.m. HST Fallen Tree Slams Crucial Mission of 'Feed My Sheep'
Puunene, Maui, Hawaii (November 13, 2010)—Feed My Sheep, a small, grassroots nonprofit effectively distributing food to over 85 percent of Maui’s impoverished, suffered up to $75,000 worth of damage to essential equipment and facilities at their Puunene headquarters due to a falling tree yesterday. Dry soil from a prolonged drought gave way under a large eucalyptus tree, which toppled, damaging half of Feed My Sheep’s seven-truck fleet, a 24-foot refrigeration unit and the organization’s office trailer. One truck was completely crushed; two others sustained roof, windshield and window damages. Although two people were in the office when the tree fell, no one was injured. Volunteers arrived this morning to clear the fallen trees. “This terrible incident is a tremendous blow to the organization,” said Kenny Ching, general manager of Kamaole Sands and Feed My Sheep board member. “Feed My Sheep reaches the majority of those in need because we are mobile and distribute on sites all over Maui. Until we can get the trucks back up and running, there are thousands of people who are in danger of going hungry.” Today’s weekly food distributions in Wailuku, Kihei and Haiku are taking place as scheduled, but staff and volunteers are forced to rely on flat beds and manual labor. The estimated cost of repairing and/or replacing equipment and facilities is between $30,000 and $75,000. In this time of urgent need the community is asked to assist in any way possible. Monetary, in-kind and volunteer contributions are needed now.	CRUSHING BLOW - One of Feed My Sheep's delivery trucks was essentially destroyed Friday by a fallen tree at their Puunene headquarters.
	UNWELCOME SURPRISE - The Feed My Sheep office was also severely damaged by the same tree that slammed their delivery vehicle. (Images courtesy of Feed My Sheep)
Visit Feed My Sheep’s website at feedmysheepmaui.com or call CEO/Executive Director Joyce Kawakami at (808) 872-9100 to find out more and make a donation. Feed My Sheep distributes food to more than 9,500 of the impoverished on Maui every week through six distribution sites in Wailuku, Kihei, Lahaina, Honokowai, Hana and Haiku. Working through a highly efficient mobile distribution system, the organization gives out perishable and non-perishable items at the mere cost of $2.50 per person per week, for 10 pounds of groceries. (Repor Provided by Feed My Sheep) (Back to Top)

NEWS FLASH - November 13, 2010 11:10 a.m. HST

BLNR Approves Kaheawa Windfarm Expansion

WAILUKU - The state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday unanimously granted Kaheawa Wind Power II the land lease it needs to make way for 14 additional wind turbines along the Lahaina pali.

Kaheawa Wind is a subsidiary of Boston-based wind energy company First Wind, which already provides electricity to Maui Electric Co. with 20 wind turbines above Maalaea.

"We are committed to the stewardship of the land," said Project Manager Kelly Bronson.

He also touted the renewable-energy project's benefits to the environment and economy, both on Maui and across the state. The project also will need permission from the state Public Utilities Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before full construction can begin.

Work could begin as early as next month, and Bronson said it would take about a year. He didn't have immediate estimates of how many construction jobs or full-time jobs operating machinery would be provided, or of the overall budget.

In its official vote, the board granted its next chairperson the authority to negotiate a 20-year site lease for the wind farm expansion, along with easements and utility access. Current Chairwoman Laura Thielen's term ends in December.

The expanded wind farm, located in a line below the existing one, is expected to provide 21 megawatts on 143 acres in the Kaheawa pasture.

Thielen said there's a lot of effort going into green energy projects in Hawaii and told her colleagues to expect many more such applications to come before the board in the near future.

The expansion of green energy sources and of efforts to wean Maui off oil was applauded during public testimony in the county Department of Planning conference room.

"This (project) is not just a talking point or an idea, it's here now," said former Maui Tomorrow Foundation board member Sean Lester, who urged support of the application.

Jeanne Unemori Skog, president and chief executive officer of the Maui Economic Development Board, said the project will support much-needed efforts to diversify Maui's economy and bolster the technology sector.

A few individuals questioned whether the state has the authority to lease ceded Hawaiian monarchy lands, while others called the gigantic turbines eyesores.

"Every time I come down from Haleakala, I can see these money machines," said opponent Jim Smith of Haiku.

Friday's decision paves the way for Kaheawa II to clear brush and start the groundwork for the larger facility that will include an electrical substation, battery-energy storage system, underground electrical-collection system, overhead transmission line, meteorological-monitoring tower and service-access roads.

Bronson also sought and received from the board permission to start most work that does not include installing the turbines, while the company completes a draft habitat conservation plan in addition to the already-complete environmental impact statement.

The board Friday amended the conservation habitat protection plan to require a qualified biologist and archeologist be on-site during construction. The company also must notify the state when it is about to begin construction, and must get proper state and federal permits to build "vertically" or install the turbines, Thielen said.

Irene Bowie, executive director of the Maui Tomorrow Foundation, said she wanted to make sure the public continues to have safe access to the Lahaina Pali Trail.

Bronson said fences will surround the turbines and the rotating turbine blades will come no closer than 90 feet above the ground.

The subsidiary Kaheawa Wind II also has developed the conservation plan in coordination with the state DLNR as part of an application for an "incidental take" permit for endangered species.

The large wind turbines are known to cause accidental injury or death to birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires the take permit for four species identified as the endangered nene goose; Hawaiian petrel, or 'ua'u; Hawaiian hoary bat, or 'ope'ape'a; and the threatened Newell's shearwater, or 'a'o.

The company also plans to take steps to safely capture and relocate birds found in the area, and will continue its ongoing habitat management and reforestation efforts of native plant species, officials said.

Lucienne de Naie of the Sierra Club's Maui group, called for the protected pueo, or Hawaiian owl, to be added to the list of birds in the permit application. She also said First Wind's various native species restoration and educational efforts are "great examples of cooperation."

In a separate action, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the project's permit applications. The public can comment before Dec. 9 on a draft habitat conservation plan. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacificislands/.

Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.

(Report Provided by The Maui News)

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NEWS FLASH - November 13, 2010 7 a.m. HST

More Details Released on Keawakapu Reef Damage Fines

The state Division of Aquatic Resources and a private company were fined $400,000 yesterday for dropping concrete blocks on a coral reef off Maui.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources decided the division should pay most of the fine — about $266,666 — for its role in the damage. The contractor, American Marine Corp., faces a $133,333 fine.

Land Board Chairwoman Laura Thielen said the division, which is part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, failed to adequately assess the drop area before allowing American Marine to sink Z-shaped concrete blocks for an artificial reef habitat on Dec. 2.

Before the drop, state divers cleared a circle 100 yards wide for the artificial reef but did not find a coral reef outside the zone only 25 yards away, she said.

In addition, American Marine's barge drifted as much as 300 to 400 feet from the drop zone buoy during the project, and division staff had to ask the contractor at least twice to reposition the barge, according to a report by DLNR.

The 1,452 concrete blocks were supposed to land on barren ocean floor, but 125 of them landed on a natural reef.

The Division of Aquatic Resources will begin a study to repair the reef and determine whether to leave the blocks because they are not causing further damage or remove them to help the reef heal faster, Thielen said. The division will report back to the board in about 60 days.

Thielen said the division could pay its fine by spending future funding or grants on reducing damage to coral reefs.

In a report submitted to the board, the department suggested a fine of about $824,373, but after three hours of discussion, the board settled on the lesser $400,000.

Thielen said she stopped the artificial reef program after the accident and notified a federal agency that the state must update its environmental impact statements before continuing to build artificial reefs.

Reach Rob Shikina at rshikina@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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Applications Being Accepted for County Boards, Councils, Commissions, Committees

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced today that applications are now being accepted for Boards, Councils, Commissions and Committees. Deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 15, 2010.

Due to terms expiring, applications are being accepted for a total of 60 vacant seats. Responsibilities include hearing public testimony, reviewing policies and standards and making recommendations.

Positions are appointed by the Mayor, confirmed by the County Council and have terms lasting two to five years.

“Each one of our boards, committees and commissions demonstrate how government and citizens work together to the benefit of our community,” said Mayor Tavares. “Every year, more than 250 citizens participate, each bringing their unique perspective, talents and life experiences. Their efforts and commitment to serving our community in this way are commendable and appreciated.”

Applications are available online at www.mauicounty.gov (click on the Boards and Commissions box on the lower right) and at the following locations: the Information Booth (Lobby level) and Office of the Mayor (9th floor) of the Kalana O Maui (County) Building at 200 S. High Street, Wailuku; all public libraries; County Council Services Offices in Hana and on Molokai and Lanai; and at Parks and Recreation Permit Offices in Wailuku at the War Memorial Gym, in Makawao at the Eddie Tam Gym, in Lahaina at the Lahaina Civic Center, in Kihei at the Kihei Community Center, in Hana at the Hana Community Center, on Molokai at the Mitchell Pauole Center, and on Lanai at the County Gym.

Applications may be mailed by Wednesday, December 15, 2010 to: Mayor Charmaine Tavares, County of Maui, 200 South High Street, Ninth Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793, or faxed to (808) 270-7870. Applications will also be accepted throughout the year to fill vacancies that arise due to resignations.

Applications are being accepted for:

• Affirmative Action Advisory Council
• Board of Code Appeals
• Board of Ethics
• Board of Variances and Appeals
• Civil Service Commission
• Commission on Children and Youth
• Commission on Culture and the Arts
• Commission on Naming Streets, Parks and Facilities
• Commission on Persons with Disabilities
• Committee on the Status of Women
• Cost of Government Commission
• Council on Aging
• Cultural Resources Commission
• Fire and Safety Commission
• Hana Advisory Committee
• Kula Agricultural Park Committee
• Lanai Planning Commission
• Liquor Control Adjudication Board
• Liquor Control Commission
• Maui County Arborist Committee
• Maui County Grants Review Committee
• Maui Planning Commission
• Maui Redevelopment Agency
• Molokai Planning Commission
• Outdoor Lighting Standards Committee
• Police Commission
• Real Property Tax Review Board
• Salary Commission
• Subdivision Engineering Standards Committee
• Traffic Safety Council
• Urban Design Review Board

For more information, call the Office of the Mayor at (808) 270-7855 or visit www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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Refuse Not Picked Up in Parts of Wailuku

WAILUKU-- The County of Maui’s Solid Waste Division announced that one manual refuse collection route was not picked up Wailuku today due to a staff shortage. The missed route is expected to be picked up on Monday, November 15.

The affected areas include Naniluna Drive, Tings Drive, Analani Street, Kamamalu Place, Olu Drive, Maluhia Drive, Wailani Street, Loke Street, Nani Street, Wells Street, Church Street, Konahau Lane, Kiele Street, Kahookele Street, Makahala Place, Kalawi Place, Ulu Place and all surrounding streets.

The Solid Waste Division apologizes for the inconvenience, and will make every effort to pick up the refuse on Wednesday. For more information, please call the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, at 270-7875.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 12, 2010 8:45 a.m. HST

Cirque Polynesia Plans to Hit the Road

Lifelong circus man Cornell "Tuffy" Nicholas and lifelong marketing man Doug Harris of The Harris Agency LLC have formed Nicholas Harris Entertainment to expand the scope of Maui's Cirque Polynesia to audiences abroad.

While the Maui show continues its performances at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa where it will mark two years in June, the co-impresarios created a new show, "The Great American Circus," and sold 28,000 tickets for 34 shows performed by a traveling troupe in Alaska last month.

The next show will roll out in a traditional circus tent at the Agana Shopping Center on Guam later this month, though the show uses only people -- no animals. It will then travel to the Philippines for 34 performances at Manila's SM Mall of Asia.

Nicholas was born to circus folk and gave his first performance at age 3. While a popular adage has kids running away from home to join the circus, Nicholas ran away from his circus home twice, only to return to produce the more modern Cirque du Soleil-inspired style of shows.

A descendant of composer Arthur Sullivan (of theatrical production creators Gilbert and Sullivan) and originally from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Harris drew from his heritage to help develop the music, costuming and haka (war chant) used in the Polynesian-themed shows. Little-known fact: The never shy or retiring Harris performed a haka at his own wedding in 1992.

A Christmas-themed version of "Cirque Polynesia" will be performed by another troupe in Indonesia next month. The set is a Polynesian village built in the Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall in Jakarta, an upscale retail center measuring more than 2.7 million square feet.

"The economy in Hawaii was part of the reason that forced me to look further afield to other markets," Harris said. He became convinced there was a much larger market for the shows he and Nicholas produced "after doing a couple events on Guam," he said. He made six or seven presentations throughout Southeast Asia, and with the positive overall response, "it was pretty easy to put together deals."

The "better margins outside Hawaii are sort of helping us with our presence across the board," said Harris.

"I think Hawaii entertainment is definitely world class," Harris said.

"Obviously, we're performing to the gamut of the world every night," promoting Hawaii to the world. Dates are booked through spring, but "the more we play, the more opportunities are opening up," Harris said, predicting further bookings may take the shows through August or September of next year.

Reach Erika Engle at at erika@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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Philippine Volcano Spews Ash - Eruption Not Expected

MANILA, Philippines — An explosion of ash and smoke from the rumbling Bulusan volcano in the central Philippines has jolted residents awake but scientists say an eruption is not imminent.

One of the country's 23 active volcanoes, Bulusan came back to life last weekend after emitting lava three years ago.

The state institute of volcanology says its analysis of the ashfall, which has blanketed about six municipalities, showed it contains no magma and there is no danger of eruption.

The latest blast early Friday shot up ash and steam some 1,600 feet (500 meters) above the 5,150-foot (1,560-meter) summit.

Authorities have distributed face masks, opened up evacuation centers and warned aircraft to avoid flying near the volcano.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 12, 2010 6:35 a.m. HST

DLNR Proposing $824,373 Fine for Keawakapu Coral Damage

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources proposes that a company that damaged a coral reef while trying build an artificial reef off Maui should be fined $824,373.

The state said it could have sought a $4.9 million fine, or the $1,000 maximum allowed by law for each of the 4,914 corals damaged.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources was to decide on the fine at a hearing this morning.

The fine, if approved, would be nearly double the $436,460 that the state paid American Marine Corp. for the Keawakapu artificial reef project.

According to a department document, American Marine dropped 125 Z-shaped concrete slabs onto Keawakapu Reef on Dec. 2. The damage covered 312 square miles of living reef well outside the area marked for the slabs.

According to the document, American Marine's barge appeared to drift as much as 300 to 400 feet from its buoy and had to be repositioned at least twice. After 1,452 slabs were sunk, state divers found several landed on coral.

The department stopped the artificial reef improvements and opened an internal administrative investigation.

The state said it is not seeking the maximum penalty because previous cases involving habitats considered high-value ecosystems had fines less than the maximum. The Keawakapu reef is classified a medium-value ecosystem.

Reach Rob Shikina at rshikina@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 11, 2010 12:15 p.m. HST

Maui Planner Tapped to Direct Abercrombie Inaugural

HONOLULU, HI – Governor-Elect Neil Abercrombie today announced that Karey Oura Kapoi will be in charge of planning the gubernatorial inaugural events.

In accordance with tradition, the inauguration will take place on the grounds of Iolani Palace on Dec. 6. Abercrombie will be sworn in at 12 p.m. The inauguration will also embrace new events, including ceremonies on the neighbor islands planned before the end of the year.

“I have said throughout the campaign that we will not have an Oahu-centric Administration and that begins with including the neighbor islands in the inauguration,” Abercrombie said. “Karey epitomizes the talented, creative and committed young professionals doing good things on every island.”

Kapoi, 36, was the Maui coordinator of the Abercrombie for Governor campaign. Kapoi is the founder of Island Soul Entertainment, a Maui-based events and record production company.

Kapoi founded and coordinated the Willie K Charity Golf Tournament that benefits the Maui Memorial Medical Center; served as director of the Maui County Fair; and help started The Pink CD project that benefits the Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation for breast education programs and to fund mammograms for women who do not have health insurance or are underinsured.

The Abercrombie for Governor campaign was Kapoi’s first time getting involved in a political campaign. This will be her first time planning gubernatorial inauguration events.

“This is Governor-Elect Abercrombie’s style of leadership of bringing in new people and empowering them,” Kapoi said. “Our inauguration events will reflect his vision of bringing Hawaii back together as we face our challenges and celebrate our successes.”

A schedule of inaugural events will be released as details are finalized.

(Report Provided by the Office of Neil Abercrombie)

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After 30 Years, Lingle Plans Six Months Off

Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday she will take six months off before deciding whether to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012.

The Republican governor, who leaves office Dec. 6 after two four-year terms, said she would then give serious consideration to a campaign against U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka. She also has said she would consider a role in national GOP politics.

"I'm not going to think about it for six months," she said. "I've been in public life for 30 years. I think it's important for anyone who has lived this kind of a public life and intense life where they are making decisions every day, to have time for reflection, more time for reading, more time to create a context for Hawaii's future.

"Whatever I do, it will be something that will make life better. That's my mission myself. But I just think it's important to take some time and to reflect."

Republicans captured control of the U.S. House in this month's elections and have aspirations to take the U.S. Senate in two years. National Republicans would likely treat Lingle as a worthy challenger to Akaka and help her with fundraising and with independent expenditures if she enters the race.

Lingle, 57, raised a record $6 million in her re-election campaign in 2006. She likely would need to raise between $3 million and $6 million to take on Akaka, who would be expected to get national help from Democrats and labor unions.

Akaka, 86, has said he intends to campaign for a fifth six-year term. He has said he considers Lingle a friend and wishes her well whatever she decides.

Despite Lingle's low job approval rating as she leaves office, which many political analysts attribute to teacher furloughs and state budget cuts during the recession, many Democrats believe she could be formidable.

Republicans are rising nationally, while Democrats in Hawaii have taken back Washington Place and again occupy all four spots in the state's congressional delegation. But the political climate can change rapidly.

Lingle's fortunes may be influenced by how voters respond to Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie's performance after two years and whether President Barack Obama remains overwhelmingly popular in the state where he was born.

"I think she will be a formidable opponent, not because she did a great job as governor, because I don't think she did a good job as governor," said Alex Santiago, a former Democratic Party of Hawaii chairman and social-services advocate who disagreed with Lingle on budget cuts to state programs. "I think that the amount of money that will be poured into the campaign from outside sources will make her a formidable opponent."

Santiago said Lingle has shown an ability to shape a consistent message, a skill that could help her in a Senate run.

"My gut-level feeling is that as long as the truth about what actually happened, especially during this last year, can come out, I think it will make it more difficult for her," he said.

Lingle's only short-term commitment, she said, is to co-chair a task force on alumni engagement at California State University at Northridge, her alma mater. Her co-chairman will be Earl Enzer, managing director of private wealth management at Goldman Sachs & Co. in Los Angeles.

"We'll try to create a plan for our alma mater on how you survive and thrive in a state that's a fiscal basket case," she said.

Lingle, who has been living in the governor's residence behind Washington Place, plans to live in a Hawaii Kai condominium after leaving office.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@staradvertiser.com.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 10, 2010 3:30 p.m. HST

First 'Off-Grid' Habitat for Humanity Home Built on Moloka'i

Habitat for Humanity will hold a blessing Friday for a Molokai home that is the organization's first project nationally with a renewable energy system allowing it to be off the grid.

The decision to power the home with solar panels and a battery back-up system was made after discovering that it would have cost $30,000 to bring in electrical lines to the home, said Emilliacq Noordhoekcq, resource development director for Habitat for Humanity's Molokai chapter.

RevoluSun volunteered the labor to install the photovoltaic system on the home in Hoolehua, while Young Brothers shipped all the materials to Molokai free of charge.

The home is the 19th on the island built by the Molokai chapter since it became an affiliate in 1998.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 10, 2010 6:40 a.m. HST

First Growth Boundaries On Maui Poised For Approval By Next Council

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii – After devoting his two-year term as Chair of the Maui County Council’s Planning Committee to the 2030 General Plan Update, Councilmember Sol P. Kaho`ohalahala announced today that the inaugural Maui Island Plan is well positioned to be enacted by the 2011-2013 Council.

The Council adopted the Countywide Policy Plan in March, after Kaho`ohalahala guided the Planning Committee in deliberations on the document for most of last year. The Countywide Policy Plan replaced the Maui County General Plan, approved 20 years ago, and established policies and values to guide County decision makers for the next two decades.

Under Kaho`ohalahala’s leadership, the Planning Committee has spent almost all of 2010 reviewing and revising the draft Maui Island Plan submitted by the Department of Planning and containing recommendations from the Maui General Plan Advisory Committee, the Maui Planning Commission and the Planning Director.

The Maui Island Plan is intended to establish Maui’s first growth boundaries and, like the forthcoming community plans, to implement the long-term vision of the Countywide Policy Plan.

The Planning Committee held 25 meetings on the Maui Island Plan during the current Council term, completing initial revisions on 7 of the 10 chapters. The Council’s self-imposed deadline to adopt the Maui Island Plan expired last month, and the new Council will be able to establish a new time limit, Kaho`ohalahala said.

“I commend my colleagues, public testifiers and the Department of Planning staff for their commitment to a sustainable future for Maui Nui,” Kaho`ohalahala said. “The historic work we’ve completed in the last two years lays the foundation for the next Council to finish the Maui Island Plan and begin work on the Lanai and Molokai community plans.”

The Countywide Policy Plan and the draft Maui Island Plan are available on the County website at http://mauicounty.gov/.

(Report Provided by The Maui Conty Ofice of Information)

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Market Street Roadwork Set for Thursday - Sunday

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-- The County of Maui Department of Public Works has announced that contractor Goodfellow Bros., Inc. will be conducting roadwork and paving on Market Street from Thursday, November 11 through Sunday, November 14, 2010 as part of the federally-funded Market Street Improvement Project, Phase II.

Roadwork will include reconstructing the existing roadway, laying asphalt pavement, and constructing a pedestrian crosswalk. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily with the exception of an 8 a.m. startup time on Friday.

Market Street, within the project site, will be closed to all through traffic 24 hours per day during this period. Exceptions will be made for emergency vehicles and local traffic only.

North- and South-bound Market Street traffic will be detoured around the work area using Mokuhau Road, Makua Street and Kahawai Street. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes if possible, and to follow all traffic control signs and flag persons while driving through the area.

For more information, contact the Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, at 270-7745.

(Report Provided by The Maui Conty Ofice of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 9, 2010 1:40 p.m. HST

County Offices to Close Thursday for Veterans Day Holiday

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii- All County of Maui offices will be closed on Thursday, November 11, 2010 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.

County landfills will operate as follows:

OPEN:
- Central Maui Landfill: open 7 a.m. - noon
- Olowalu Recycling: open 9 a.m. - noon
- Molokai Landfill and Recycling: open 8 a.m. - noon

CLOSED:
- Hana and Lanai landfills

All County pools will be closed on the holiday. The public is advised to call 270-8208 for daily recorded pool schedule information, which is updated by 9 a.m. seven days a week.

The Waiehu Golf Course will be open. Trash collection is expected to follow a normal schedule.

For more information on County services, programs and schedules, visit www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by The Maui Conty Ofice of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 9, 2010 1:10 p.m. HST

Keawakapu Reef Damage, Kaheawa Wind Farm Topics of DLNR Maui Meeting Friday

HONOLULU – The Board of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold its first regular meeting in November 2010 at the County of Maui Department of Planning, Kalana Pakui building, 250 South High St., first floor conference room. The meeting will take place on Friday, November 12, 2010, starting at 9 a.m. The meeting agenda and submittals are available online on DLNR’s website at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr

On the agenda for the board’s attention will be a report by Division of Aquatic Resources staff on an assessment of coral damage at the Keawakapu artificial reef on December 2, 2009, evaluation of the coral damage and issuance of a fine against American Marine Corporation for damage to coral, live rock and the environment on unencumbered submerged lands in the conservation district.

The board will also receive public testimony on a lease and grant of easement of public lands for Kaheawa Wind Power II’s proposed renewable wind energy facility in the conservation district at Kaheawa Pastures in Ukumehame, west Maui.

(Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Land and Natural Resources)

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NEWS FLASH - November 9, 2010 6:55 a.m. HST

Maui Tech Firm Gets $244,479 in Cancer Research Grants

Functional Nutriments LLC, a Maui-based company that produces a dietary supplement for dogs, has won a $244,479 federal grant to research its formula for human cancers.

The company's product helps dogs unlock a natural biological process in the body, known as apoptosis, which break up accumulated cells that should be eliminated for normal health, according to the product's description.

The grant is part of a $1 billion program overseen by the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which offers funding to small businesses creating medical therapies.

The program's goal is to reduce health costs, create jobs, and significantly advance cures for cancer within the next three decades.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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Refuse Not Picked Up in Kahului Due to Staff Shortage

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-- The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, announced that some areas in Kahului did not receive refuse collection service today due to a staff shortage.

Affected areas in Kahului include Aiai Street, Ani Street, Kahiki Street, Kealohilani Street, Kuhuoi Street, Kuualoha Street, Kuula Street, Lehua Street, Lono Avenue, Makalii Street, Mokapu Street, Polani Street, Pomaikai Street and all surrounding streets. The missed areas are expected to be picked up tomorrow, Tuesday, November 9th.

The Solid Waste Division apologizes for the inconvenience. For more information, please call the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, at 270-7875.

(Report Provided by The Maui Conty Ofice of Information)

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Supreme Court Upholds Maui Man's Murder Conviction

WAILUKU - The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that a Maui man convicted of murder isn't entitled to a new trial.

Maui County First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Peter Hanano told the Maui News that the office is pleased the high court chose not to review the ruling that found Taryn Christian received a fair trial.

The 34-year-old Christian was convicted in 1997 of second-degree murder and attempted third-degree theft in the 1995 death of 23-year-old Vilmar Cabaccang. He was stabbed multiple times after chasing a man who broke into his car.

Christian was released in 2008 after a judge ruled he was denied a fair trial. Christian was taken back into custody in April after the appeals court ruling.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 8, 2010 8:05 a.m. HST

Abercrombie's Victory Margin Surprises Some

Democrat Neil Abercrombie has been in the thick of Hawaii politics for four decades and is as well known in the islands as the state's favorite son, President Barack Obama.

Still, Abercrombie's 17-point drubbing Tuesday of Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona surprised most everyone deeply involved in Hawaii politics.

According to several political observers in Hawaii, the road to Abercrombie's latest big victory was paved by several factors: avoiding negative messages; a strong grass-roots effort; targeted appeals to constituencies; significant help from labor unions; and the endorsement of his Democratic primary rival.

"He has a way of connecting with folks that is very consistent with the way good island politicians do it," said Neal Milner, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Abercrombie helped make Hawaii a rare bright spot for Democrats on a night when Republicans rolled up huge gains in Congress and in governor's offices. He replaces two-term Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, whose popularity has waned in the past two years.

Abercrombie served Hawaii in Congress for 20 years before stepping down to run for governor. He thumped former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the September primary by nearly 22 points.

Dyed-in-the-wool Republicans still picture the former congressman as a radical, hippie Vietnam War critic. But "his supporters see him through a policy lens," Milner said. "They see him as advocating the right policies."

State Rep. Kimberly Pine (R, Ewa Beach) said Abercrombie appropriated GOP themes, such as a vow not to raise the general excise tax and to steer more education decision-making to the school level. Abercrombie also promised Filipino residents to help bring their families in the Philippines to America, said Pine, whose district includes a significant Filipino community.

"That's something very close and dear to their heart, so I can imagine (the Abercrombie campaign) was making promises to other niche groups as well," she said.

Hannemann's endorsement of Abercrombie, including a late television ad, helped bring along moderate Democrats who had backed the former mayor. Abercrombie captured 6 in 10 of those voters, according to an AP exit poll.

Travis Taylor, a spokesman for Aiona's campaign, said the loss of those moderates were a factor. Many of them crossed over in 2002 when Lingle became the first Republican governor in 40 years.

He attributed that in part to a late burst of negative ads from Democrats, unions and other allies that "unfairly but effectively assigned the full blame of emotional, controversial issues, such as teacher furloughs, to the governor and, by extension, the lieutenant governor."

Abercrombie, who himself was hit with a barrage of GOP-produced negative ads, repeatedly linked Aiona and Lingle.

Andrew Aoki, Abercrombie's deputy campaign manager, said voters wanted change and that his candidate better convinced them he would accomplish that.

"I don't know if it was so much our ability to tie him to Lingle as maybe it was his inability to untie himself from the administration," Aoki said of Aiona.

Aiona started at a disadvantage, given the political strength of unions that usually back Democrats with money and manpower -- though the GOP tried to counter that with at least $750,000 in TV ads from the Republican Governors Association on Aiona's behalf.

"That's what the problem really is for the Republican Party," Milner said. "This shows the continuing historical and structural obstacles that the Republican Party has to face. I mean, I thought he actually ran a pretty good campaign."

Some GOP insiders are not so sure.

Marian Grey, who heads the GOP's House District 18 committee, said she voted for Aiona but was unenthusiastic because he supports federal legislation to allow the creation of a sovereign native Hawaiian government, and because of his refusal to sign a no-new-taxes pledge.

Grey also said she wanted the state party to focus more on economic rather than religious issues. Party Chairman Jonah Ka'auwai said in August that an Aiona victory would give Hawaii its first "righteous leader."

"It turned me off, the party chair calling certain people 'righteous,'" said Grey, who is Jewish. "I will never be what they consider to be 'righteous.'"

Others said the GOP made a tactical error in not getting behind a moderate candidate for lieutenant governor who could better complement Aiona's conservatism than the equally conservative Rep. Lynn Finnegan. They pointed to the moderate Lingle's embrace of Aiona in 2002 as a model.

"I had told them, right straight, if you want to win, you need a moderate," said Garret Hashimoto, chairman of the Hawaii Christian Coalition.

Still, Aiona and his supporters were clearly buoyant the weekend before the election, given polls showing him within striking distance. That made the crushing defeat on Tuesday all the more devastating.

"I think we all believed that he had a chance," said Pine, the Republican representative of Ewa Beach.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 8, 2010 6:45 a.m. HST

Coast Guard Rescues Family of Four Adrift at Sea

HONOLULU — A family of four missing at sea for six days was rescued by the Coast Guard and Royal New Zealand Air Force 2,300 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands Saturday.

The Coast Guard received a call from the Kiribati Maritime Police Branch Thursday informing them of a missing 13-foot boat with two adults and two children aboard. The Coast Guard Cutter Rush reached the search area Friday and launched its HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter to begin a search.

The New Zealand Air Force located the missing family Saturday approximately 230 miles from Butaritari Atoll, the nearest body of land. They relayed the location to the crew of the Rush who launched their small boat and rescued the family. The family was safely taken aboard the Rush and transported to Butaritari Atoll. Their boat was taken in tow by the Rush.

The family was reported as being dehydrated but having no injuries. The rescue crew gave them food and water.

(Report Provided by U.S. Coast Guard)

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NEWS FLASH - November 7, 2010 7:35 a.m. HST

Pacific Enjoying 'Quiet' Hurricane Season

Score one for the weatherman.

When the 2010 Pacific hurricane season kicked off in May, forecasters predicted a "below normal" season of hurricane and tropical storm activity in the Central Pacific.

With just over three weeks left to go in the season, it appears -- fingers crossed -- that the forecasts were accurate.

Based on La Nina conditions and the ongoing "low-activity era" the region has experienced over the last 15 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Climate Prediction Center predicted a 70 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal season, and just a 5 percent chance of increased activity.

The hurricane season started May 15 in the Eastern Pacific region and June 1 in the Central Pacific region, which includes Hawaii. Most storm activity in the Pacific typically occurs in the eastern region.

While the season started in dramatic fashion with the formation of Tropical Storm Agatha off the coast of Guatemala in May and a cluster of tropical storms (two of which developed into hurricanes) in June, the Pacific has been calm ever since. In fact, for the first time in 44 years, there were no named storms at all in July.

Of course, as Central Pacific Hurricane Center Director Jim Weyman cautioned back in May, even a single storm can have devastating effects.

Agatha killed at least 177 people, caused an estimated $1.7 billion in damage and left thousands homeless in Central America.

The strongest storm so far has been Hurricane Celia, which packed 160 mph winds in June, but never approached land.

While the period between June and November is the most fertile for hurricane formation, tropical storms and hurricanes can form any time.

The last hurricane to hit Hawaii was Iniki in 1992. The storm killed six people and caused more than $2 billion in damage.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 6, 2010 5:40 p.m. HST

MECO Responds to Another Tree-Pole Incident in Haiku

(Editor's Note: Repairs were completed and the road reopened at 11:50 p.m.)

Kauhikoa Road between Lia Place and Kane Road, Haiku is CLOSED.
Trees have fallen onto a MECO pole causing power lines and a pole to collapse. Kauhikoa Rd will remain closed until further notice. MECO is on scene.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 6, 2010 12 p.m. HST

Tree, Power Lines Down Across Kaupakalua Road in Haiku

(Editor's Note: MECO crews completed repairs and the road opened at 11:45 a.m. today)

Kaupakalua Road between Kauhikoa Road and Nilu Place in Haiku is closed.Large tree and power lines are down and across the roadway. MECO is on scene. Will keep this updated when the information is available.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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Tree, Power Lines Down Across Kaupakalua Road in Haiku

Kaupakalua Road between Kauhikoa Road and Nilu Place in Haiku is closed.Large tree and power lines are down and across the roadway. MECO is on scene. Will keep this updated when the information is available.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 5, 2010 11:50 a.m. HST

Landslides Close Haiku Road Between East, West Kuiaha

(Editor's Note: Slides were cleared and the road reopened at 1:15 p.m.)

Haiku Rd between West Kuiaha Road and East Kuiaha Road is completely closed due to two landslides, will update this information when it becomes available.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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NEWS FLASH - November 5, 2010 11:10 a.m. HST

Oil Slick Closes Hali'imaile Road

(Editor's Note: Spill was cleaned and the road reopened at 12:45 p.m.)

Haliimaile Road between Baldwin Ave and 1340 Haliimaile Road is completely closed due to an oil slick. Fire department personnel are on scene. We will update this when the information is available.

(Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information)

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Waves Still Reaching Heights of 15 Feet Along North Shores

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has continued the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.

A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.

2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 10 to 15 feet today.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 1.9 feet is expected between 1:05 p.m. and 2:23 p.m. this afternoon.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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Maui's Tsutsui Replaces Hanabusa as Senate President

State Sen. Shan Tsutsui of Maui will be the new Senate president and Sen. Donna Mercado Kim is the Senate vice president after Senate Democrats agreed on a reorganization plan last night.

Tsutsui, who was elected to the Senate in 2002, replaces state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who is resigning to go to Congress.

"We're looking forward to working with the new administration to make good things happen," Tsutsui said.

State Sen. David Ige will be the new chairman of the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee. State Sen. Clayton Hee will chair the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee. State Sen. Rosalyn Baker will lead the Senate Consumer Protection Committee.

Tsutsui said other committee assignments are expected to be announced today.

Earlier this week, state Senate Vice President Russell Kokubun of the Big Island appeared to be the favorite to replace Hanabusa.

Democrats control the Senate with a 24-to-1 majority. Democrats have aligned themselves in competing factions and have formed leadership coalitions, usually by splitting the presidency and the Ways and Means Committee between factions.

(Report Provided by The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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NEWS FLASH - November 4, 2010 4 p.m. HST

High Surf Still Pounding North Shores

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has extended the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI now in effect until 4:00 p.m. Friday. The HIGH SURF WARNING is cancelled.

A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.

2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 15 to 22 feet through Friday.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 3.0 feet is expected between 2:02 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. tomorrow morning. The next high tide of approximately 1.9 feet is expected between 1:05 p.m. and 2:23 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 4, 2010 2:30 p.m. HST

Hyundai Replaces Mercedes as Sponsor of PGA Kapalua Tournament

Hyundai Motor America has parked itself as the new title sponsor for the PGA Tour’s season-opening event at Kapalua’s Plantation Course for at least the next three years.

The announcement of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions was made by the tour, Hyundai and Seoul Broadcasting System International this afternoon. The new title introduces Hyundai, a Korean company with some 800 dealerships in the U.S., and re-introduces the TOC title the tournament was known by from 1953 to 1993.

The tournament, a limited-field event open only to the previous year’s champions, moved to Maui in 1999 and was originally called the Mercedes Championships. SBS signed a 10-year agreement in May of 2009 to take over sponsorship. The agreement also brought SBS PGA Tour broadcast rights in Korea through 2019 and the event still actively sought a title sponsor to keep it on Maui.

Now SBS will “underpin” the tournament through 2019, according to the tour. That will include hospitality and other on-site activities.

Hyundai calls the title sponsorship a continuation of its “Big Voices in Big Places” strategy, designed to put itself in the “highest profile advertising venues,” including the Super Bowl, an exclusive automotive sponsorship with the Academy Awards and global sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“Hyundai’s title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s traditional season-opening tournament aligns our brand with world-class athletes who mirror our own competitive drive,” said Hyundai Motor America President John Krafcik.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem was more specific.

“In our discussions,” he said, “Hyundai expressed interest in continuing its brand momentum throughout the U.S., as well as further strengthening its position in Asia. This title sponsorship will help accomplish these goals.”

Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy has won the last two years at Kapalua. He goes for a three-peat Jan. 6-9. Other 2010 winners expected to join him are Sony Open in Hawaii champ Ryan Palmer, Steve Stricker, Camilo Villegas, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, three-time champion Stuart Appleby, Hunter Mahan and Lee Westwood, who just moved to No. 1 in the World Rankings past Tiger Woods. This is the first year since Woods joined the tour in 1996 that he has not won.

The Golf Channel will have coverage at Kapalua all four days, then move to Oahu for the Sony Open in Hawaii, Jan. 13-16 at Waialae Country Club. Sony’s contract is in its final year. The tour’s hope is that the Hyundai commitment, and the elite golfers who usually play both events if they come to Hawaii, will encourage Sony to continue.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 4, 2010 9:25 a.m. HST

Hawai'i Now 'Bluest' State in Nation

Hawaii's overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature is now the nation's most one-sided, although Republicans managed to pick up one seat.

With 88 percent of legislative seats held by Democrats, Hawaii passed Rhode Island as the nation's most politically monolithic state, according to an Associated Press analysis of National Conference of State Legislatures' figures.

Democrats will control all but nine seats in Hawaii's 76-member Legislature following Tuesday's election. Republicans gained eight seats in Rhode Island to give it the second-most lopsided House and Senate, with 84 percent Democratic control.

The addition of just one Republican to the Hawaii Legislature fell far short of the Republican Party's hopes in a year in which 10 races had no incumbent and the party had targeted about 15 seats.

"Republican voters didn't turn out," said Dylan Nonaka, executive director for the Hawaii Republican Party. "We thought a lot of races should have been much closer."

Republicans gained two seats in the Hawaii House but lost a seat in the Senate, shrinking their number in that chamber to one.

Of the 10 seats without an incumbent, Republicans won two.

"A lot of the Democratic candidates just outhustled the Republican candidates," said Speaker of the House Calvin Say, D-St. Louis Heights-Wilhelmina Rise.

In the House, former Maui police captain and Republican George Fontaine defeated incumbent Joe Bertram. Bertram, D-Makena-Kihei, was criticized for appearing in court last year to defend a friend convicted of Internet enticement of a minor.

The other Republican elected to the House was Gil Riviere, a mortgage broker and Oahu North Shore Neighborhood Board member, who won an open seat vacated by Vice Speaker of the House Michael Magaoay. Magaoay, D-Schofield-Kahuku, unsuccessfully ran for state Senate.

"The Republican Party needs to get more candidates who are more active in the community," Riviere said. "We've got to have more people step up with more of a track record, but there are a lot of Democrats in the state."

Besides Riviere, the other Republican to win an open seat was Aaron Johanson, who replaces Republican Lynn Finnegan. Finnegan, R-Mapunapuna-Foster Village, unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.

In the Senate, former Democratic Party Executive Director Pohai Ryan won a race to replace Republican Fred Hemmings. Hemmings, R-Lanikai-Waimanalo, is resigning.

Democratic Rep. Marilyn Lee was holding on to a 17-vote lead over Republican Shaun Kawakami, a former youth pastor.

"We're still essentially a blue state," said Lee, D-Mililani-Mililani Mauka. "The history of the labor unions, and also the state's diversity and the years and years that many different ethnic groups have struggled to be recognized as equal, that plays a role."

Because Democrat Neil Abercrombie won the governor's race, the Democratic Legislature will have an easier time passing new laws than they did over the last eight years, when Republican Gov. Linda Lingle kept her veto pen ready.

Republicans will hold eight out of 51 House seats and one out of 25 Senate seats when the Legislature convenes in January.

(Report Provided by The Associated Press)

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NEWS FLASH - November 4, 2010 8:15 a.m. HST

Huge Waves Still Pounding, But Getting Smaller

1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has continued the HIGH SURF WARNING for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 4:00 p.m. today. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY for EAST FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 4:00 p.m. today.

A High Surf Warning means that dangerous, battering waves will pound the shoreline. This will result in very dangerous swimming conditions and deadly rip currents.

2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 18 to 25 feet through this afternoon.

Surf along east facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 6 to 10 feet through this afternoon.

Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves.

A high tide of approximately 2.0 feet is expected between 12:33 p.m. and 1:51 p.m. this afternoon.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates.

NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.

Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov.

(Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense)

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NEWS FLASH - November 4, 2010 6:35 a.m. HST

Visitor Spending Soars in September

HONOLULU - Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai'i in September 2010 soared 22.2 percent, or $160.1 million, to $880.2 million over the same period last year. Total expenditures for the first nine months of 2010 were $8.4 billion, an increase of 13.7 percent compared to 2009, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

The growth in visitor spending for September 2010 was due to a boost in average daily visitor spending (+11.5%) and an 8.9 percent increase in total visitor arrivals to 538,516 visitors.

Total arrivals by air rose 8.9 percent from September 2009 to 528,304 visitors. U.S. West (+13.5%) and Canada (+13.3%) showed strong, positive growth. Japan (-.4%) and U.S. East (-.7%) exhibited slight decreases in arrivals, although growth in visitor days for Japan (+5.7%) and U.S. East (+1.3%) was positive, due to a longer length of stay.
For the first three quarters of 2010, total visitor days for all visitors grew 7.6 percent compared to year-to-date 2009, and total arrivals rose 7.2 percent to 5,298,830 visitors.

Maui County led the state in visitor arrivals with all three major islands boasting double-digit increases in arrivals in September, 2010 over the previous year.

Read the entire report here.

(Report Provided by The Hawai'i Tourism Authority)

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