Mayor Mufi Hannemann

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and 12 local labor unions have inked an agreement that will pay union workers prevailing wages to build Honolulu's rail transit project while guaranteeing that they cannot delay construction by striking. Among those signing the Project Labor Agreement on Tuesday were unions representing carpenters, heavy equipment operators, iron workers and roofers. Hannemann says he favors the pact because it will ensure that local workers are employed on the $5.4 billion rail line. Construction of the 20-mile rail line is expected to begin next year and is slated to be completed in 2019. Also, the city and Kiewit Pacific Company on ... Read Full Story

The earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Samoa and American Samoa prompted officials in Hawaii to take precautions against possible devastating flooding as some residents prayed that loved ones in their homeland survived. At the American Samoa government office in Honolulu, the telephones were ringing constantly as Samoans in Hawaii and on the mainland inquired about the aftereffects of the tsunami. Some in Hawaii frantically texted and e-mailed family members back home. Hawaii and much of the rest of the Pacific were placed under tsunami advisories for a few hours Tuesday following the earthquake. The warnings and watches were canceled by the Pacific Tsunami Warning ... Read Full Story

Honolulu (Hawaii, not Idaho) Mayor Mufi Hannemann will soon sign a bill making the use of mobile electronic devices illegal while driving. According to the Star Bulletin , Bill 4 is aimed at stopping “text messaging and video-game playing,” but the blanket law for all devices had to be done to make the bill enforceable. Officers simply need to see a driver using a handheld device to issue a citation — hands-free devices are kosher. So, if you’re looking to game and drive to the beach, head on over to Kailua. The beaches are better and there are far fewer tourists to inattentively run ... Read Full Story

Hawaii's cheapest cruise is coming to an end. TheBoat commuter ferry service will cease operations at the end of June, Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced Wednesday, the same day attempts to bring back the interisland Hawaii Superferry service were dealt another blow. The commuter ferry had carried 110,000 passengers since its launch, including many families and tourists who sometimes took the two-hour round-trip just to get out on the water. For others it was a daily sunrise commute with a ride across a shimmering ocean, amid flying fish and the occasional splashing whale, and a peaceful but sometimes bouncy trip home into a golden Hawaii ... Read Full Story

The Pro Bowl's future in Hawaii will be decided Friday in one last vote that could reunite the NFL's all-star game with the state, or end the decades-long relationship in an ugly divorce. It is the third time the Hawaii Tourism Authority board is voting on the NFL's offer to return to the islands. The board rejected two previous proposals, but under mounting pressure, will reconsider its latest refusal to have the all-star game played at Aloha Stadium in 2011 and '12 for $4 million a year. "We'll see tomorrow, but I'm hopeful we will have the seven requisite votes," board chairman Kelvin Bloom ... Read Full Story