State briefs for July 19

Inflation rises in Honolulu

HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu inflation reached a five-year high during the first half of 2017.

Data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the consumer price index rose 2.5 percent from where it was a year ago.

Gasoline and other energy prices were the main drivers behind the increase.

Energy prices jumped 15.4 percent throughout the past year, with gas costs up 20.4 percent and electricity rising 11.8 percent. Apparel prices also rose significantly at 5.8 percent.

Honolulu’s inflation rose at a faster pace than the nation’s, which was up 2.2 percent during the first six months of the year.

Matthew Insco, a U.S. Bureau of Labor economist, said a big reason inflation in Honolulu outpaced the nation during the past year was housing. Housing costs rose 4.1 percent.

UH developing alert system for flooding

WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — An alert system is being developed to give West Maui residents a six-day heads up when large wave and flooding events are possible.

The University of Hawaii ocean observation program will use a $500,000 federal grant to start developing the system in October. Development will take three years.

The system will be able to provide data to plan for flooding scenarios based on rising sea levels and increasing wave energy, according to a university news release.

The project comes on the heels of recent king tides events, where peak high tides coincided with unusually high sea levels.

The high water levels and large wave swells can result in coastal erosion, damage to infrastructure and properties and sedimentation that decreases coastal water quality.

Honolulu mayor pushes high-rise sprinkler bill

HONOLULU (AP) — Hundreds of older high-rise apartment buildings in Honolulu aren’t required to have sprinkler systems, but city officials are pushing for change in the wake of last week’s deadly blaze at the Marco Polo building.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell introduced a bill Monday that would require sprinklers in all high-rise buildings regardless of when they were constructed.

There are about 300 high-rises on Oahu that were built before a 1975 law made sprinkler systems mandatory in new structures, according to a survey conducted by the Honolulu Fire Department. The Marco Polo building was built in 1971.

Caldwell’s bill would require all buildings taller than 75 feet to install sprinkler systems.

All high-rise hotels in Honolulu were required to install fire sprinkler systems in 1983, and the requirement was extended to commercial high-rise buildings in 2001. But efforts to require the systems in high-rise residential buildings failed in the past because of cost concerns.