Hawaii

“Hula Arts at Kilauea” program erupting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Volcano Art Center is about to turn up the heat at Kilauea Volcano. Starting this Friday, May 24 and running monthly through August, “Sunset Hula” performances by Halau Kahula O Nawahine Noho Pu`ukapu will light up the pa hula (stone platform) near the VAC […]

Hawaii 24/7 Staff County council members J Yoshimoto and Zendo Kern are hosting a community meeting on the proposed 2013-2014 budget. The meeting, with Mayor Billy Kenoi and cabinet members, is 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at the Hawaii County Building in Hilo. The informational ‘talk story’ agenda includes an overview of the budget and [...] - visit Hawaii 24/7 to read the full story -

Alexander & Baldwin’s stock gained 1 percent Tuesday to lead Hawaii stocks in gains and follow the broader markets to close higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 52.30 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 15,387.58. The Nasdaq gained 5.69 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 3,502.12. Gainers: Alexander & Baldwin Inc. (NYSE: ALEX) closed at $36.13, up 39 cents, or 1.09 percent; Bank of Hawaii Corp. (NYSE: BOH) closed at $50.75, up 17 cents, or 0.34 percent; Central Pacific Financial…

The James Campbell Co. is looking to sell 516 acres of mostly undeveloped land in West Oahu known as Kapolei West, a potential mixed-use residential and commercial master-planned community that would connect the City of Kapolei with Ko Olina Resort. East-West Financial Services Ltd. is marketing the property, which could fetch tens of millions of dollars. The Washington D.C.-based private investment banking firm declined comment on the possible sale. Kapolei Property Development, a real estate…

MEDIA RELEASE Waimea Middle School extends an open invitation to the community to celebrate student accomplishments. The free evening event, “Journey of Learning,” is 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at Kahilu Town Hall. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. for cocoa, coffee, sandwiches and cookies. The community is encouraged to arrive early to enjoy refreshments and [...] - visit Hawaii 24/7 to read the full story -

AP photoRECOVERY: Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger’s tornado-ravaged home Tuesday in Moore, Okla. By Patrick B. McGuigan | CapitolBeatOK OKLAHOMA CITY — After the storm, both firefighters and residents rode, then ran, to the homes and the schools, launching a search for survivors and a recovery of remains. Accustomed to nature’s fury in spring tornadoes, Oklahomans do their best to ride out the storm, then show up after. This tornado, designated an F-4 initially but possibly an F-5, dropped from the clouds Monday west of Newcastle, southwest of the city, crossed the Canadian River about 3 p.m., thereafter to plow through the heart of Moore, a community south of the Oklahoma City. It moved pretty much straight East. After doing significant damage to the water treatment plant at Lake Stanley Draper, it lifted back into the skies. The wide path and lengthy course of the storm make it certain that hundreds and perhaps thousands of homes were destroyed. At least two elementary schools — Plaza Towers and Briarwood — were devastated. At Plaza Towers, several children were rescued from the rubble and passed along a human chain to the triage area nearby. By nightfall and then overnight, much of the work was focused on recovery at that site. A Facebook message from a friend listed a picture of a child missing from the Step Above Learning Center at 149th and Western. In north Oklahoma City, The Chabad Jewish Center established itself as a shelter for families with children, and for the healthy elderly. Rabbi Ovadia Goldman told me the Center was to open Tuesday at 7:45 a.m. to accept non-perishable items, especially water and toiletries. They will work until 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, then start over Wednesday. The Chabad are in contact with their worldwide network; the local link is www.jewishokc.com/relief Glenn Beck, of television and radio fame, was nearby when the storm hit. He came to town overnight with two truckloads of supplies, set up shop at First Baptist Church of Moore, and has promised to raise $2 million to help — much as he did after Hurricane Sandy in the East. The Convoy of Hope, an international relief group based in Springfield, Mo., was on the ground quickly. The Southern Baptists live here, and they were already on the ground by dusk with what many consider the best private relief operation in the world. The Red Cross and other steady groups were also in place as daylight waned in the western skies. President Barack Obama and Gov. Mary Fallin spoke before nightfall Monday and he promised federal help. Fallin ordered the National Guard and Highway Patrol into the area as the tornado ripped through Moore. The state has been designated a major disaster area — the counties of Oklahoma, Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, and Pottawatomie at the core. Moore has experienced this before. Minor storms hit in 1998 and 2003 and a devastating storm came in 1999. Toby Keith, the popular country music star, Monday night recalled riding his bicycle through those same streets now impassable due to the wood and debris from destroyed homes. Toby said his hometown would recover. They will. In the Old Testament Book of Kings, the story is told of the prophet Elijah, taking shelter in a cave at the mountain of Horeb. He receives a message to stand at the mouth of the cave, for “the Lord will be passing by.” As he stands looking out, there comes “a strong and heavy wind” crushing crocks and rending the mountain; then an earthquake; then fire. That day, God was not in any of those things. Then, “After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.” That was the voice of God, asking the man, “why are you here?” (1 Kings 19: 9-13) After the storm, it is natural to wonder, why are we here? Why were we spared and others taken? What can we do now? This is the time of the tiny whispering sound in the midst of chaos and confusion, the voice of comfort, a

Alan Gottlieb, head of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms BELLEVUE, WA – Citing concerns about First Amendment erosion based on revelations about covert Justice Department probes of journalists, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today called the government snooping “deplorable, if not despicable.” “It is disturbing that James Rosen, who covers the State Department for Fox News was targeted,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “but now published reports suggest that the DOJ, in a separate effort, apparently also targeted Fox News reporter William La Jeunesse, who broke several stories about Operation Fast and Furious. “We find this deplorable and despicable,” he added, “and a clear sign that the Obama administration is not simply out of touch, it is out of control. It is time for Congress to put a check on the Executive branch and rein these people in, and it is also time for Attorney General Eric Holder to go.” Gottlieb noted that, “It is the role of the press to be a watchdog on government, not the other way around.” He said Rosen and La Jeunesse “not only did nothing wrong, they did their jobs. In La Jeunesse’s case, he has been instrumental in exposing the outrage known as Fast and Furious to the American people.” Fast and Furious is the scandalous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gun trafficking operation that authorized at least 2,000 AK-type rifles to be purchased by known criminal suspects. It was terminated immediately after a gun associated with the operation was recovered at the scene of a gunfight in 2010 that resulted in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. “It should not surprise anyone that the First Amendment is every bit as important to us as the Second Amendment,” Gottlieb observed. “The Citizens Committee is not an organization that cherry picks from the Bill of Rights. Unlike the Obama administration, we revere all the individual rights protected by the Constitution, while they seem intent on ignoring its very existence. “In light of these scandals,” he concluded, “it is clear why gun owners are being joined by growing legions of other citizens in their distrust of government.” With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

Where do food stamps come from? They come from taxpayers—certainly not from family farms. Yet the “farm” bill, a recurring subsidy-fest in Congress, is actually 80 percent food stamps and other government nutrition programs. The food stamps sweeten the farm deal for lawmakers, who admit that the combination works for their political purposes. As Heritage experts Daren Bakst and Diane Katz explain: The food stamp portion creates a reason for urban representatives to support farm subsidies, and for farm-state lawmakers to support food stamps. Talk of de-politicizing agriculture programs and welfare policy is met with stiff resistance. For example, Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, recently told the North American Agricultural Journalists group that food stamps should continue to be included in the farm bill “purely from a political perspective. It helps get the farm bill passed.” Food stamps are there to help “get the farm bill passed.” And the relation of the rest of the farm bill to farming is also questionable. Bakst and Katz note that “Congress has expanded the farm bill over time into a costly compilation of disparate programs. Along with agriculture and food stamps, the legislation includes dozens of forestry, conservation, energy, and rural development programs.” It has become the norm that Congress lumps billions—even trillions—of dollars in taxpayer-funded programs together into huge bills. This allows them to sneak in plenty of special-interest pork. Each of these programs deserves to be evaluated on its own, and taxpayers deserve transparency from Congress about how it plans to spend our money. For example, food stamps are a massive program that needs a careful look. Food stamp spending has doubled under the Obama Administration, and participation is at historic highs. Recruiters holdbingo games and other “parties” to try to get more people on the food stamp rolls. Farm commodity programs are also a major concern and in dire need of reform. Congress may eliminate the egregious direct payment program, which pays farmers for doing nothing. However, instead of stopping there, both the House and Senate farm bills would replace direct payments with programs that could wind up being even costlier. Food stamps and farming ultimately have to do with food, but that’s about all they have in common. Making the farm bill 80 percent food stamps just doesn’t make sense. LEARN MORE: Fact Sheet >> Farm Bill: Ripe for Reform

REPORT FROM THE SENATE MAJORITY - The Senate Committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs will be holding an informational briefing to address concerns raised in the Audit of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ (DHHL) Homestead Services Division and other related departmental issues.   The Office of the Auditor (Auditor) released a report on the division (Report No. 13-02) in April of this year. The briefing will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 2:45 p.m. in the State Capitol’s Conference Room 229. Among the concerns found in the report is the commission’s failure to meet its fiduciary obligations, as well as the department’s lax management of lessee loans. The report states that in attempting to provide long-term tenancy to lease beneficiaries, the commission has thwarted collection or cancellation of chronically delinquent homestead leases, consequently tying up leases and staff resources to the detriment of the beneficiaries still waiting for leases. The report further found that, as of June 30, 2011, there were 9,922 homestead leases statewide and 26,170 applicants waiting for homestead leases. In FY2011, the department issued 177 new homestead leases. That year, the department collected $61.1 million in revenues and accrued $70 million in expenses. “I’m glad that the department has recognized many of the Auditor’s concerns and is seeking to aggressively look at and take action on the loan delinquency issues,” said Senator Brickwood Galuteria, chair of the Senate Committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs. “This is not a time to point fingers, but is a time for self-reflection. My hope is that through this report and discussion that we will be able to take steps to resolve these issues and enhance the overall performance of the agency. Our beneficiaries and the public at large deserve greater transparency and accountability.” The following officials from the DHHL and the Auditor will be present during the discussion: Jobie Masagatani, Director, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Darrell Young, Deputy Director, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Commissioners, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Jan K. Yamane, Acting State Auditor DHHL administers about 200,000 acres of public lands set aside for agricultural and pastoral use to be leased to native Hawaiians, upon which they may live, farm, ranch, and engage in commercial or other activities. The department, headed by a nine member executive board, the Hawaiian Homes Commission, is responsible for the provision of financial and technical assistance to native Hawaiians (those with at least 50 percent Hawaiian blood), which enables them to enhance their economic self-sufficiency and promote community-based development. According to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, by doing this, the traditions, culture, and quality of life of native Hawaiians will be self-sustaining. No public testimony will be accepted.

The Howard Hughes Corp. plans to build two market-rate condominium towers, as well as one mostly affordable residential tower, as part of the first phase of its Ward Village master plan in Honolulu’s Kakaako neighborhood. David Striph, senior vice president of Hawaii for Dallas-based Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC) said Tuesday that the developer also plans to renovate the iconic IBM Building as part of the first phase of the urban master planned community that would eventually double the retail,…