Bills might ease marijuana laws

Hawaii lawmakers will consider legalizing medical marijuana dispensaries and decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the drug.

Sen. Kalani English says he will introduce the measures during this year's legislative session, which begins today.

The senator representing East Maui, Lanai and Molokai says he wants to legalize and tax medical marijuana dispensaries to generate money for the state. Residents with medical marijuana cards could use the dispensary to buy marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Hawaii already has a medical marijuana law that licenses patients to use the drug but does not allow them to buy it. The law allows patients to grow small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

Fourteen states have legalized medical marijuana.

Whale carcass will be removed off Punaluu

The carcass of a whale weighing between 10 and 15 tons is scheduled to be removed today off Punaluu Beach Park.

The whale washed up in Punaluu on Friday and was decomposed, according to Wende Goo, spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

State and federal officials believe it is the carcass of a juvenile humpback whale.

The last time a whale washed ashore was about two years ago in Kahuku, she said.

Humpback whales are an endangered species, but their numbers have been rising following laws protecting them in the early 1970s.

As many as 10,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawaii from Alaska during winter months, compared with 1,000 in 1978, according to federal officials.

Team with aid for Haiti forced to make isle stop

A 64-member humanitarian team from Indonesia en route to Haiti made a temporary stop in Honolulu on Monday afternoon after they were informed that the earliest they could enter Haiti is Feb. 7, according to the Jakarta Post.

The team left Honolulu Airport on Lion Air at 4 p.m. yesterday for the Dominican Republic, where they have arranged to transport relief supplies to Haiti victims affected by last week's massive earthquake, according to Tammy Mori, spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, and Patrick Sullivan, honorary consul of Indonesia in Hawaii.

The Jakarta Post reported the team is traveling with 30 tons of supplies for the victims.

Housing Authority names new director

Board members of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority named Denise M. Wise as the agency's new executive director.

Wise replaces Chad Taniguchi, who served as executive director since 2007. The board sought a new director last year as the agency faces challenges that include a multimillion-dollar renovation of Kuhio Park Terrace.

“;The expertise of Ms. Wise in project management, strategic planning, real estate development and public-private partnerships make her well-suited to lead HPHA at this critical juncture,”; said board Chairman Travis Thompson in a written statement.

Wise previously served as executive director of the Gunnison County Housing Authority in Colorado. She also held a leadership role with a nonprofit community development corporation in Milwaukee that focused on the development and management of affordable housing.

Wise will oversee the redevelopment of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kuhio Homes. In a news release, Wise said, “;With cuts in federal funding, most public housing authorities are at a crossroads.”;

“;It is essential to engage in nontraditional funding sources and leverage the resources we currently have to ensure that we continue to deliver and maintain safe, affordable and diverse housing options for Hawaii residents.”;

Magnitude of Big Isle quake raised to 4.3

The earthquake that shook up the southern area of the Big Island on Monday was larger than initially estimated, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake, centered four miles west-northwest of Pahala at 1:01 p.m., was upgraded to magnitude 4.3 from the initial estimate of 3.8, officials with the USGS' Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said yesterday.

“;There are several methods for estimating an earthquake's magnitude, and some methods are better than others for different magnitude ranges,”; USGS officials explained yesterday in a written statement. “;Through the analysts' review, it was determined that amplitude magnitude (M4.3) is a more accurate measure for Monday's earthquake than duration magnitude (M3.8). Duration magnitude is less reliable for earthquakes above magnitude 4.0.”;

Scientists said that over the past 25 years, the region has experienced an average of one earthquake greater than magnitude 4.0 every two years.