Fates of major bills remain uncertain
The Hawaii Legislature has three weeks left to wrap up all its business for the 2015 session, and most of the major legislation remains undecided.
Lawmakers in both chambers have passed bills that would set up a system of medical marijuana dispensaries, solve problems at Hawaii’s financially troubled health insurance exchange and allocate all of the state’s spending. But they have yet to agree on their versions for most of the bills. They’ll begin hashing out their differences in conference committees this week.
On Monday afternoon a Senate committee will take up a House resolution calling for the state auditor to investigate sick leave at the state prison system. Dozens of corrections officers have repeatedly called in sick on holidays, leading the prison system to cancel visits to inmates and to pay overtime.
High surf and wind forecast for coasts
The National Weather Service issued a high-surf advisory and gale warning for Hawaiian shorelines and waters because of a high-pressure system passing north of the state.
The high-surf advisory is for the east shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii island, with waves of 6 to 10 feet expected. It will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The gale warning will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday during which east winds of 35 to 40 mph, with higher gusts, are expected.
The weather service says the high-pressure system will bring strong tradewinds through Tuesday and will focus clouds and showers over windward slopes and coasts, mostly during mornings and evenings.
UH-Hilo security plan includes more cameras
HILO » The University of Hawaii at Hilo is taking steps to improve safety on campus that will include doubling the number of security cameras, according to its new security department director.
Darrell D. Mayfield took over as director in August. The security overhaul will include a new incident reporting and tracking software system and an emergency operations center building that’s under construction, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
The Hawaii Legislature is considering a funding request for UH-Hilo to hire staff for its own security force instead of continued use of a contractor.
Mayfield formerly worked as security manager at Texas A&M University.
Changes began before he arrived. A more than $5 million campuswide data network improvement project will support a new video surveillance system and blue-light call stations.
The project began in May and will be completed next month.
"We’re in the process of upgrading our cameras and video surveillance system," Mayfield said this month. "There’ll be over 200 cameras on the campus after that. We’ll have a room set up for two officers with video screens on the walls."
More cameras will allow security officers to respond more quickly and accurately, Mayfield said.
Cameras will be added to external areas of the campus such as "parking lots, walkways, large gathering areas and that kind of thing," he said.
The $5.8 million Campus Security and Emergency Operations Center is scheduled to be finished in October.
