LATEST HAWAII NEWS
Mars Mission -- in Hawaii?
If you've ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut and have four months to spare, you might have the right stuff to fly to Mars … well, sort of.
Hawaii-based Marine sergeant accused of hazing...
HONOLULU - A second Marine is going to trial for allegedly hazing a fellow Marine who later fatally shot himself in Afghanistan. Sgt. Benjamin Johns has been charged with a wrongfully humiliating and demeaning Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who killed himself on April 3.

Hawaii's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 17th Annual National Awards Program
Candonino Agusen, 16, of Kailua-Kona and Jackson Button, 13, of Waialua today were named Hawaii's top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
Kauai home sales, prices flat in January
Home sales on Kauai were flat in January, as were prices, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.There were 30 single-family homes sold on the Garden Isle last month, which was just one more than the 29 sold in January 2011. The median price of a single-family home last month was $402,500, which was 4 percent less than the $421,000 median price in January 2011.There were 21 condominiums sold in January, which was one more than the 20 units sold in January 2011, and the median...
Big Island home sales off to a slow start
The median price of a Big Island single-family home in January dipped by 4 percent to $231,000, but the price of a condominium rose 11 percent to $200,000, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.Sales volume was down for both single-family homes and condos last month when compared to January 2011.Single-family home sales dropped by 9.5 percent in January to 95 sales. The number of condos sold last month dropped by 19 percent to 35 units.
Well-Known Conservationist Comes To Hawaii
Conservationist Jeff Corwin is in Hawaii filming shows for his series "Ocean Mysteries". He will highlight some of the many endangered island species threatened with extinction.
Hawaii solar companies join into one entity
WAILUKU - Haleakala Solar Inc. has joined forces with Oahu-based Solar Wave Hawaii, making it one of Hawaii's largest solar and renewable energy contractors and priming it for statewide expansion, the companies announced Friday.
Hawaii, Korea partner on smart grid research
Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday signed a letter of intent with officials from South Korea to develop a smart grid demonstration project in Hawaii.The Korean government and the state of Hawaii will collaborate on smart grid research, development and demonstration projects with public and private partners, the governor's office said in a statement."We are delighted that the Republic of Korea has seen the value of partnering with Hawaii on a mutually beneficial smart grid development project,"...
Abercrombie to sign organ transplant funding bill...
Hawaii lawmakers on Friday passed legislation for about $1.8 million in emergency funds for kidney and liver transplants in the state.Gov. Neil Abercrombie plans to sign House Bill 608 into law on Saturday at The Queen's Medical Center.The law will appropriate emergency funds, subject to private matching funds, for the transplants, as well as to support a chronic kidney disease management program.Hawaii was left without an organ transplant center after the closure last month of Hawaii Medical...
Commercial kitchen incubator on Kauai receives OK...
A commercial kitchen incubator on Kauai has received its certification from the Hawaii Department of Health to open and serve the public.The Anahola Marketplace Kitchen was developed by the nonprofit Homestead Community Development Corp. and is the first of its kind on Kauai."This is a major milestone for the Anahola Marketplace and for the people of Kauai," board member Lorraine Rapozo said in a statement. "Whether a vendor makes and sells food product at the marketplace, or is a mobile vendor...
Top general in Pacific says Hawaii soldiers to...
U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Hawaii and elsewhere in the Pacific probably aren't going anywhere ­- except perhaps overseas on deployments - ­ is the word from the man who leads them, Lt. Gen. Francis Wiercinski.The commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific told the military's newspaper, Stars and Stripes, in a recent interview that the number of soldiers in the Pacific is unlikely to drop.That's good news for businesses in Hawaii because the 20,000 soldiers here make up a significant chunk of...
Territorial Bancorp leads Hawaii stocks as Dow...
Territorial Bancorp Inc.'s stock gained 3.4 percent to lead Hawaii stocks Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, saw its highest close since before the start of the financial crisis in 2008.The DJIA gained 156.82 points, or 1.23 percent, to close at 12,862.23, while the Nasdaq gained 45.98 points, or 1.61 percent, to close at 2,905.66.Gainers:Alexander & Baldwin Inc. (NYSE: ALEX) closed at $48.15, up 62 cents, or 1.3 percent;Bank of Hawaii Corp. (NYSE: BOH) closed at $46.99, up 61...
Hawaii hotel rates rise on higher occupancy
Occupancy rose at Hawaii hotels last week, while room rates increased by more than 8 percent, according to a report by Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research.Hotels statewide were 82.3 percent occupied during the week ending Jan. 28, which was six percentage points higher than the same week in 2011. The average daily room rate was $200.55, which was 8.4 percent higher than a year ago.All islands saw increases in occupancy, but only two enjoyed increases in room rates.Maui's average...
Higher airfares spur nonstop flights between...
Rising cross-country fares may be behind the recent announcements from Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines about new nonstop flights between Hawaii and the East Coast.Businessweek reports that domestic airfares have increased nearly 18 percent since 2009, which make the nonstop flights to Hawaii, which carry a majority of leisure travelers, more attractive for the airlines. Businessweek reports that previously, fares were so low for cross-continental travel that airlines preferred to fly to...
Hawaii unemployment claims down by 3.2%
The number of initial unemployment claims in Hawaii declined 3.2 percent statewide last week, with two counties showing double-digit drops and two counties showing increases, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.There were a total of 2,028 initial jobless claims filed statewide during the week ending Jan. 28, compared to 2,096 claims filed during the same week in 2011, the state said.Maui and the Big Island both saw drops of more than 20 percent in the...
Big Island building code bill passes despite...
The Hawaii County Council passed a new building code for the Big Island despite a vocal crowd that disrupted the meeting twice by calling for council members to kill the bill.West Hawaii Today reports that a dozen police officers were called to council chambers during Wednesday's meeting as the crowd protested a section of the new code that addresses "substandard" structures. The newspaper reports that the council was under an April 15 deadline to adopt a new building code for the county or fall...
Hawaii's plan for teaching science gets a 'D'
WAILUKU - Hawaii's science education goals for public schools are "a case study in half-loaves and inconsistencies," says a report by the Washington, D.C,-based Thomas B.
Chef Ludo Lefebvre will 'tour' Hualalai Resort
Los Angeles chef Ludo Lefebvre is bringing his "touring" restaurant concept LudoBites to Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at the Hualalai Resort on the Big Island.LudoBites Hawaii Nine-0 will "pop-up" at the Hualalai Grille from March 6 to March 17, with a menu of small plates and specialty cocktails."I am looking forward to working in such a beautiful setting with really amazing local ingredients," Lefebvre said in a statement. "Hualalai Resort and Four Seasons have found a special...
Regulators suspend Hawaiian Electric solar water...
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has suspended Hawaiian Electric Co.'s "Simply Solar" proposal, which had sought approval within 60 days for a $55 million on-bill repayment program for solar water heaters.The program aimed to install solar water heating systems this year at no upfront cost to customers, who would repay the cost from the savings from the solar hot water systems.The PUC wrote in its ruling Tuesday that the "Simply Solar" program's costs "do not appear to be cost effective to...
Hawaii state Rep. Tom Okamura resigns
Hawaii Rep. Tom Okamura resigned Thursday, a month after being appointed to fill the vacancy left when Blake Oshiro resigned to become Gov. Neil Abercrombie's deputy chief of staff.Okamura, a Democrat who represented the Aiea-Red Hill district on Oahu, resigned for health reasons, House Speaker Calvin Say said in a statement."During the few weeks this year that he's been with the House, he has graced us with his unique knowledge, expertise and wisdom as a veteran lawmaker and true public...
Poll finds low confidence level among Hawaii...
Hawaii consumers are slightly more confident about the future now than they were six months ago.But only slightly.The State Consumer Confidence Index stood at 79 in December, according to The People's Pulse. That was up a couple of ticks from the 77 reported in July 2011 but down from the 91 registered last January.OmniTrak Group has been conducting The People's Pulse since the late 1990s, sharing the results with business leaders, politicians and other decision makers. Its latest survey was...
Abercrombie releases $13M for Hawaii ag...
Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Thursday released more than $13 million for capital improvement projects for Hawaii's agriculture industry, including $4.15 million for a rendering plant and slaughterhouse on the Big Island.Other funding includes $2.5 million for improvements to state irrigation system reservoirs statewide, $1.25 million to replace an irrigation system and install a new hydropower plant on Molokai, $1.85 million to improve the Waimanalo irrigation system on Oahu, $1 million for the...
Hawaii stocks, broader markets finish with mixed...
Cyanotech Corp.'s stock gained 1.4 percent to lead Hawaii stocks Thursday in a mixed day for local issues. Hoku Corp. posted the biggest loss; its 5 percent drop meant it gave back most of Wednesday's gains.The broader markets also finished mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 11.05 points, or 0.09 percent, to close at 12,705.41, while the Nasdaq gained 11.41 points, or 0.40 percent, to close at 2,859.68.Gainers:Cyanotech Corp. (Nasdaq: CYAN) closed at $6.59, up 9 cents, or 1...
Hawaii monk seal facility may break ground this...
The Marine Mammal Center has reached its fundraising goal for a monk seal rehabilitation facility on the Big Island and could begin construction on the project as soon as this summer.The Garden Island newspaper reports the Sausalito, Calif.-based nonprofit met its goal only two weeks after announcing that an additional $150,000 was needed to break ground on the facility on 2.6 acres at Keahole Point near the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in Kailua-Kona.
Dean Seki named Hawaii state comptroller
Dean Seki has been appointed state comptroller to Hawaii's Department of Accounting and General Services, Gov. Neil Abercrombie's office said.Seki, who has worked as a policy and planning analyst in the department since 2002, takes over from Jan Gouveia, the department's deputy director who has been serving as interim comptroller for the state since October.She had replaced state Comptroller Bruce Coppa, who left in October to become Abercrombie's chief of staff."I'm looking forward to working...
Thanks to Norm Chow, Hawaii Grabs Three Great...
Signing day came for high school football players to declare on the dotted line where they'll play college football in 2012 and the University of Hawaii Warriors snatched three excellent recruits from the islands. Notably two of the three had already made verbal commitments to...
Hawaiian Holdings' stock drops 9% in Wednesday...
Hoku Corp.'s stock gained nearly 6 percent Wednesday to lead Hawaii issues. Even if Hoku's real gain was less than a nickel a share based on its low stock price, that's an amount the owners of Hawaiian Holdings Inc.'s stock no doubt would have taken on a day when they saw shares fall 9 percent on an otherwise good day on Wall Street for the broader markets.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 83.55 points, or 0.66 percent, to close at 12,716.46, while the Nasdaq gained 34.43 points, or 1...

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