Entries for 'News Release'

 “Hawaii is already the second most expensive travel destination in the country and the recent disaster in Japan has made it even more difficult for Hawaii to compete in the tourism market,” said Thomas Jones, president of Gyotaku Restaurants ....

Waialua High School robotics team competed again today at the Las Vegas Regional among 39 teams from across the country.  Waialua finished as a Regional Finalist and was recognized with two awards....

Abercrombie today announced his appointments for the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai'i (UH) and the Board of Governors to East-West Center....

The Hawaii Republican Party filed an ethics complaint against Honolulu City Councilman Nestor Garcia for failure to comply with ethics rules.  HRP will also call upon Garcia to step aside as Council Chair pending the investigation.

Abercrombie today announced the appointment of Mary Alice Evans as Deputy Director to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism....

We strongly believe that no one should be able to tell the people of Hawaii that they have no choice but to raise taxes. There are choices and these worksheets provide real numbers taken from real budgets.

The Board’s duties include overseeing the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which investigates allegations of attorney misconduct and incapacity, and recommending appropriate action to the Hawaii Supreme Court.

"...because of an unresolved situation with my law firm, I have decided to withdraw my nomination to prevent any distraction for the Abercrombie Administration and disruption for my family.”

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced his appointments to the new Board of Education (BOE).  The board consists of nine members – three from O'ahu, three at-large, and one each from Hawai'i Island, Maui and Kaua'i. 

The bill language makes the false claim that HPV vaccination results in "few or no side effects" when, in fact, there have been documented serious adverse effects worldwide, including many deaths. HPV screening prior to vaccination is not routinely done.

...right now, our main concern is for the Japanese people and helping them recover from this tragedy. We encourage others to join us in supporting the 'Aloha for Japan' fundraising efforts....

It has been almost eight years since the wars on terrorism began. Between March 29, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2010, we in Hawaii have lost 284 service members.

This year, we formally induct 16 service members into the roll for the Hawaii Medal of Honor. All 16 gave their lives for our freedoms in 2010.

This is the prepared text of Rep Tom Brower invocation given today before the State House.  Question: Which god is he invoking?

Waialua High, McKinley High and Kealakehe High School robotics teams won this year’s FIRST in Hawai‘i Regional Robotics Competition, qualifying them to move on to the 2011 FIRST Robotics Championship at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, April 27-30. 

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Hawaii jumps one spot to the top of the list this month. Leisure travellers are taking advantage of recent airfare sales to Honolulu, driving hotel demand and increasing rates....

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Residents and business owners should report any damage to their property, home or business to Aloha United Way by dialing 2-1-1 (Monday through Friday) or to the State Civil Defense toll free line at 855-211-7456 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

The Commission on Water Resource Management is extending its nomination period until Wednesday, April 6, 2011.  The original application period (October 17 - November 22, 2010) ended before Governor Neil Abercrombie took office.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission gave final approval to a general lease agreement allowing Hawaii DeBartolo LLC to develop 67 acres for the Ka Makana Ali‘i Center in East Kapolei. Under the agreed upon terms, Hawaii DeBartolo will pay more than $140 million in rent, over the course of 65 years, to DHHL for use of the land.

Democrat members of two House Committees voted to gut a bill that would have helped parents buy school supplies for their children and inserted language to legalize gambling in Hawaii.

SB 755, which started as a proposal by Senator Carol Fukunaga to help school-age children, was completely rewritten behind closed doors.  Further, the bill was allowed to pass without the standard 48 hour notice to give the public time to comment on this measure.

Companies purchase hotel rooms from hotels at wholesale rates and sell them at marked up rates to consumers.  The Companies collect amounts sufficient to pay these taxes – based on the retail amount charged to the consumer – from the renters of the hotel rooms, but then fail to remit the full amount owed to Hawai‘i.

This Sunday, March 27, the NRA's state association, the Hawaii Rifle Association (HRA), will be hosting its annual members meeting at the Kokohead Shooting Complex at the "LIFE" shooting bay (first action shooting bay). 

• Senate: Additional Continuing Appropriations, 2011
• House: Additional Continuing Appropriations, 2011
  House: NSP Termination Act
  House: NPR Federal Funding Ban
  House: Afghanistan Withdrawal resolution

The new benefit agreement covers a term from January 1, 2011 to October 31, 2014 and includes changes to medical, dental and vision plans and increased employee contributions and changes to retirement benefits for employees commencing employment on or after May 1, 2011.

NotHaus is co-founder of the Royal Hawaiian Mint and creator of the Free Marijuana Church of Honolulu.  NotHaus also produced the Ron Paul Dollar. 

HCF is providing a $3 million grant for this new initiative from the Omidyar Ohana Fund, a donor advised fund established through the support of Pierre and Pam Omidyar.  The grant is in part conditioned upon monies from Senate Bill 1287/House Bill 1060, currently being considered by legislators, as well as future legislation which together will provide the majority of the funding for the transformation effort.

When the people of Hawaii voted for change in November, they voted to end a policy that said all people must fend for themselves.  They rejected the status quo where we fail to invest in ourselves; where we ignore long-term problems for political convenience; where we make government the enemy of the people instead of the instrument for reaching our goals; where political drama and private interests drown out the voices of the majority; where we stoke distrust and disdain for one another instead of treating each other with fairness and respect.

The war of each against all, which has an iron grip on our country, is coming to an end in Hawaii.

Hawaii. One of the newly open Senate seats where we haven't seen any numbers at all, not even internal polls.  The big question here-does Linda Lingle actually make this competitive or is it an easy keep for Democrats no matter who the Republicans put up.

Although usually benign, KI can be harmful to people with allergies to iodine or shellfish, those with certain skin disorders, or those with thyroid problems. Observed but infrequent side effects of ingesting potassium iodide include nausea, intestinal upset, rashes, inflammation of the salivary glands, and possibly severe allergic reactions.

• Senate: Patent Reform Act of 2011
• Senate: Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011
• Senate: Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011
• House: FHA Refinance Program Termination Act
• House: Emergency Mortgage Relief Program Termination Act

Bad Day for Tax Increases - Governor Abercromie promised during the campaign, “We will not be raising any taxes, what we will be doing is utilizing state government in a way that brings the hope and change people want.” After taking office he quickly broke this promise and has proposed at least $500 million in new taxes for Hawaii residents over the next 2 years.

The goal of the project is to give Big Island homeowners who have been served with a foreclosure action the opportunity to participate in mediation with the lender and a trained mediator before the case is heard by a judge.

At the New York City Regional, students from Waialua High School earned the competition’s top honors by being named the Chairman’s Award winner in addition to winning the field competition, beating out an impressive field of 65 competitors. As the Regional Champions and Chairman’s Award winners, Waialua has earned a position at the World Championships in St. Louis.

Pūnana Leo O Kawaiaha`o, a Hawaiian language medium preschool is working with the museum to present three separate displays focusing on the stories and legends of O`ahu’s oceans....

Those interested in making a contribution to the Japan-Hawaii Relief Fund may do so at any First Hawaiian Bank branch through March 31, 2011.

County Police, Fire, Public Works and Environmental Management crews worked with State Highways, the American Red Cross and the county Office of Housing and Community Development to conduct preliminary damage assessments in the County of Hawai‘i today. Their findings include the following reports

Fontaine, who represents South Maui, will have access to an exclusive bank hot line on behalf of constituents and other Maui homeowners who are having difficulties with their mortgage payments. BOA’s goal is to establish contact with the customer within one business day, and to provide a response the legislator’s office and to the borrower within 20 business days on the specific issues of the inquiry.

Board members oversee and administer the LFCP, the purpose of which is to reimburse -- to the extent provided by the Rules of the Hawaii Supreme Court -- losses caused by dishonest conduct of lawyers licensed to practice in Hawaii.

• Baldwin High, Moanalua High, and Punahou School will compete at the San Diego Regional Competition among 60 teams from four states and two countries.
• Waialua High will compete in the New York City Regional Competition among 66 teams from three states and three countries.
• Sacred Hearts Academy will compete at the WPI Regional Competition among 36 teams from three states and three countries.

After nearly a month of debate on the budget repair bill, nearly three weeks of childish stunts and delay tactics from the Democrats, the longest public hearing in state history and the longest Assembly debate in state history, the Senate met tonight to pass the non-fiscal items in the Budget Repair Bill.

4 March 2011 - The Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International protests the detention of writers Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, who were among around 10 journalists and writers arrested early yesterday morning (3 March 2011) following police raids on their homes and offices.

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald announced today that he is seeking written comment on judicial nominees for three vacancies at the District Court of the First Circuit and one vacancy at the District Family Court of the First Circuit (Oahu).

The first HOPE “warning hearing” will be administered to five offenders on Wednesday, March 9, at 1 p.m. by Judge Greg Nakamura. Judge Nakamura will preside over all hearings involving offenders on HOPE Probation in addition to his regular calendar.

The meeting is on Saturday, March 19th at 1:00 PM at the Kona Vistas Pavilion

...at the end Yoshioka accused Slater of lying and mentioned the 20 misrepresentations by Slater that he had presented to the City Council. At this point Slater was on his feet demanding to answer this slander but with Council Chair Garcia screaming that he was out of order, Slater stood down....

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Short-term Continuing Resolution
• House: Short-term Continuing Resolution
• House: Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011