PLDC begins to show its agenda

Many have wondered what the Public Lands Development Corporation intends to do with state lands. More information is now becoming available.

Department of Education releases strategic plan (updated)

The Strategic Plan: · Reflects a DOE and BOE commitment to Hawaii's students. It recognizes that this is a critical time for students, parents, teachers, all DOE staff, and community partners coming together to transform public education in Hawaii. · Explains what the DOE will do to ensure students can reach their fullest potential and attain their aspirations in the face of 21st century opportunities and challenges. · Commits to supporting and nurturing safe schools, increasing technology resources, building stronger partnerships to support student learning, and promoting a broad-based education that supports the whole student and closes achievement gaps. · Outlines well-defined student success indicators such as attendance, retention, graduation, and college-going rates.

The plan isn't yet online; we'll link to it when it's available. The draft is available here (PDF).

Camp clearing rousts hundreds of homeless

Candidates: How would you address food insecurity?

This is the first of a series of conversations with candidates for elected office.

Japanese Diet: Fukushima was ‘man-made disaster’

Hiroko Tabuchi, reporting for the New York Times:

The report, released by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, challenged some of the main story lines that the government and the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have put forward. Most notably, the report said the plant’s crucial cooling systems might have been damaged in the earthquake on March 11, 2011, not only in the ensuing tsunami. That possibility raises doubts about the safety of all the quake-prone country’s nuclear plants just as they begin to restart after a pause ordered in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.

The full report is available here (PDF).

Department of Health fines Navy $80,000 for hazardous waste, used oil violations

During a routine inspection on August 31, 2011, DOH found Makalapa failed to make a hazardous waste determination for corrosive wastes generated during coil cleaning of refrigerant equipment and for wastes generated from the use of solvents containing methyl ethyl ketone and perchloroethylene.

Honolulu’s “Kokua Wireless” named one of the world’s top 100 urban projects

KPMG, a global accounting firm has named Kokua Wireless, Honolulu's free wi-fi program, one of the world's top 100 urban infrastructure programs.

Hawaii to receive $500K to help homeless U.S. veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says that according to a January 2011 count, there were more than 67,000 homeless vets nationwide.