Tourism industry fears negative impact of rental law
HONOLULU — New short-term rental rules could impact Hawaii’s tourism industry by decreasing the amount of lodging for potential visitors, officials said.
More restrictive rental rules on Oahu took effect Thursday.
Honolulu City Council unanimously passed Bill 89, which was signed into law June 25. The ordinance bans advertising of unpermitted short-term rentals and enacts penalties resulting in fines of up to $10,000 for persistent violators.
The city Department of Planning and Permitting ruled the law applies to Waikiki properties in apartment and apartment precinct zones, as well as townhouses at the Turtle Bay Resort. The visitor industry expressed concerns the law will be applied to hundreds of units in resort districts.
Oahu Alternative Lodging Association estimated the law could cause a loss of between 50,000 and 80,000 visitors per month.
Investors outside Hawaii including airlines said they are monitoring the results of the ordinance.
Cops probe report of ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ firm burglary
EDGEWATER, Colo. — Police in Colorado said Friday they are investigating a reported burglary of a business owned by “Dog the Bounty Hunter” reality TV star Duane “Dog” Chapman.
A passerby in the Denver suburb of Edgewater discovered a broken glass door Tuesday at a business that stocks merchandise that’s sold online. Police Cpl. Bob Brink said officers boarded the door after they couldn’t reach anyone affiliated with the business, called “Free as a Bird Bail Bond.”
Someone with the firm reported Thursday that merchandise and personal items were stolen, Brink said Friday. As of Friday, police didn’t have a list of what is missing, and the investigation is still in its early stages, Brink said.
Chapman tweeted Friday that there is a “large cash reward” for any information about who is responsible for stealing items including the bounty hunting gear of his late wife, Beth. He is calling on the person responsible to turn himself in. Chapman told reporters Friday he’ll ask police not to press charges if the person surrenders in the next 48 hours.
Chapman spoke outside his damaged storefront as police released surveillance video of a man suspected in Monday night’s burglary.
The business is not open to the public. A telephone call to the business went unanswered Friday.
Beth Chapman died in June at the age of 51 in Hawaii. She battled cancer for about two years. Funeral services were held July 13 in her home state of Colorado.
The Chapmans starred in A&E’s “Dog the Bounty Hunter” for eight seasons until it was canceled in 2012. The show followed the couple as they apprehended people who avoided arrest warrants.
They later starred in Country Music Television’s “Dog & Beth: On the Hunt.” WGN America is in production on a new series featuring the couple called “Dog’s Most Wanted,” set to premiere Sept. 4.
Oklahoma native, 1 of last known USS Arizona survivors, dies
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma native who was one of the last known survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has died.
Daughter Pat Cunanan says Lonnie David “L.D.” Cook died Wednesday at the age of 98 in California, where he was living near her family in Salinas.
Cook was born in Morris, Okla. His death leaves four known living survivors who were aboard the Arizona during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that killed 1,177 on the ship and an estimated 2,400 at the base.
Cunanan said her father talked little about that day, except to attribute his survival to the fact he lived and was stationed in a gun turret.
Cunanan said funeral services are incomplete, but will be in Morris, about 35 miles south of Tulsa.
