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There’s always something interesting going on at Honolulu Hale.

Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

5:28 p.m. More Drug Charges For Indicted Police Major

On the heels of his arrest for methamphetamine possession earlier this week, Honolulu Police Department Major Carlton Nishimura is facing more charges. The grand jury returned another indictment, this time upping the counts he faces from three to five.

Nishimura had previously been indicted for corruption.

4:36 p.m. Carlisle Hopes ‘Attractive’ World Leaders Model Aloha Shirts At Home

The last question at today’s press conference, from KHON2’s Gina Mangieri, noted that the Cabinet members in attendance were either in uniforms or aloha shirts.

So what does Mayor Peter Carlisle think of President Barack Obama‘s decision to ditch the aloha shirts in the family photo in favor of business suits? He’s fine with it, as long as the world leaders wear the Hawaiian threads at home.

“Some of those leaders are extremely attractive people,” Carlisle said. “And I don’t care if they don’t wear it here, but if they go back to their native lands and put on their aloha shirt, we’ve got models of the very best caliber basically touting around and modeling our goods, so that’s a good thing.

“We want them to wear it over there, and then come back wearing it again.”

4:25 p.m. Rail Tax Revenues Up, Again

The figures are in for the general excise tax surcharge revenues collected for the Honolulu rail project from July through September, and the news is good. Again.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim Executive Director Toru Hamayasu shared the numbers with the Honolulu City Council‘s Budget Committee today, then confirmed them to Inside Honolulu before leaving Honolulu Hale.

HART pulled in $46.4 million in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2012, he said. That’s money the city received from the state at the beginning of November, about a month after the quarter closed. The city’s latest rail financial plan projected $43.8 million in receipts for that quarter, meaning the actual number exceeded the budgeted amount by $2.6 million or 5.9 percent.

That’s the second straight quarter with good news. In July, Civil Beat reported that total receipts during Fiscal year 2011 exceeded expectations by $15 million.

Previous analysis showed the tax projections had been optimistic.

1:39 p.m. Carlisle, Obama Talk Hoops

When President Barack Obama landed in Honolulu late Friday evening, one of the folks greeting him on the tarmac was Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle.

We snapped this screen grab off a live stream of the greeting.

As the two shook hands, they appeared to be engaged in conversation. After today’s press conference, Inside Honolulu grabbed Carlisle making his way down the Honolulu Hale steps and asked what the two had chatted about.

The answer: college hoops.

Before flying to Hawaii Friday, Obama had celebrated Veterans Day by taking in the Michigan State versus North Carolina game aboard the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier docked in San Diego. (Side note: There are some from the rare outside basketball game.)

Carlisle’s son is a Spartan, while the mayor was a Tar Heel, so you can imagine he was pleased with the 67-55 UNC victory. Carlisle’s alma mater famously won the championship in 2009 after Obama had predicted it on , so Carlisle petitioned the president to consider backing UNC again.

“You know God’s a Tar Heel fan because he made the sky Carolina blue,” Carlisle said he told Obama.

No word yet on whether a promise was made. March Madness is still months away.

1:20 p.m. APEC Victory Lap

The mayor and five members of his Cabinet have just wrapped up their joint press conference to celebrate the city’s successes during APEC.

Department chiefs said they got the job done without running up costs. In fact, Mayor Peter Carlisle said the city saved about a quarter of the $43 million it had budgeted for hosting the summit. Insurance costs estimated at $5 million actually came in at $3 million, and the $8.6 million contingency fund went completely untouched.

More coming later.

11:37 a.m. Rail Construction Three Months Away?

The Full Funding Grant Agreement promising $1.5 billion in federal money for the Honolulu rail project is still almost a year away, but construction might start much sooner than that.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim Executive Director Toru Hamayasu just told the Honolulu City Council‘s Budget Committee that the plan is to start building the footing, columns and parts of the fixed guideway in February 2012 — just three months from now.

Hamayasu said the hope is that the city will obtain a letter of no prejudice from the Federal Transit Administration clearing the way for construction. Existing city funds, not federal funds, would be used for that work, he said.

11:13 a.m. Makana Sings, Speaks at Occupy

Yesterday, Inside Honolulu told you slack key guitar virtuoso Makana would be making an appearance at the Occupy Honolulu.

Today, Civil Beat shares photo and video evidence.

“There’s nothing greater than people talking about how to bring about positive social change,” he said. “It’s not about socialism or ending capitalism, it’s about ending corporatism.”

Read the full story and watch a video interview with Makana here.

10:54 a.m. Enomoto’s ‘Long Political Record’

Sticking with the Ansaldo theme, blogger Ian Lind highlighting the “wonderful political baggage” local Ansaldo rep Thomas Enomoto brings to the Honolulu rail project.

Lind points to a handful of stories published in the mid-1990s focusing on state money that was funneled to Hawaii Raceway Park. That benefited Enomoto, who was a “pal” of former Gov. John Waihee.

As I review some of this ancient history, keep in mind the old axiom: “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”

10:35 a.m. Thank You Press Conference

Mayor Peter Carlisle will be joined today by a large chunk of his cabinet for a post-APEC rundown.

The 12:15 p.m. press conference will include Managing Director Doug Chin, Honolulu Police Department Chief Louis Kealoha, Honolulu Fire Department Chief Kenneth Silva, Emergency Services Director James Ireland, Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka and Environmental Services Director Tim Steinberger.

The media advisory said the conference was being held “to thank the community,” but Inside Honolulu will be there with some questions. Are there any things you’d like these city leaders to answer for? Share in comments below.

10:13 a.m. Martin Unsure About Ansaldo

With questions still swirling about the financial health of would-be rail contractor Ansaldo and its parent company’s desire to sell the train operation, the chorus of concerned Honoluluans has a new voice: Honolulu City Council Chair Ernie Martin.

“I think with this additional news it may be prudent for them to take a step back and do a more thorough review,” , encouraging the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to proceed with caution.

The newest bad news is that Finmeccanica, which owns stakes in both AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS, “trimmed its full-year forecast on Tuesday and said it will sell assets to the tune of about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to help cut debt,” according to a .

and the published similar stories.

That’s enough to make Martin think HART should re-bid the contract. But HART doesn’t agree.

“We are aware of and will continue to monitor Ansaldo’s financial situation. We are confident that the contract includes the right safeguards through performance and payment bonds,” Toru Hamayasu, HART Interim Executive Director told Hawaii News Now. “Those bonds will guarantee the core systems work will be completed.”

Today’s Meetings

• At 9 a.m., the Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget meets. includes a discussion of funding for the Honolulu rail project and a recent change order for the first 6.5 miles of the route.
• At 1 p.m., the Committee on Public Works and Sustainability meets. includes a report to the Council regarding alternate technologies for handling sewage sludge.

Where’s Carlisle?

• At 9:15 a.m. today, Mayor Peter Carlisle attends a Bronze Star Award Ceremony in honor of Staff Sergeant Arthur E. Ross, a World War II veteran, at Heroes Green at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
• At 4 p.m., Carlisle delivers remarks and presents an award at the Waikiki Improvement Association‘s 2011 Annual Membership Meeting at Princess Kaiulani Ainahau Showroom.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

November 15: Occupy Protesters Worried By Sidewalk Bill; Indicted HPD Major Caught With Methamphetamine; Makana At Occupy Honolulu; It’s Really Starting to Look A Lot Like Christmas; Caldwell: No Formal Announcement Yet; Sidewalk Possessions Bill Discussion Continues Thursday; To Label GMOs?; Mayor: Thanks For APEC Support; Occupy Honolulu Hale?; Ethics On The Agenda; Where’s Carlisle?

November 14: One Year, 18,000 Tons of Recyclables; City Department of Tree-Cutting; Full Slate of Government Meetings; Back To Normal; Where’s Carlisle?

November 7: Tuesday Events; The County of West Oahu?; APEC Press Briefing; Until the Fat Lady Sings; Tales From Washington; Where’s Carlisle?

November 4: Carlisle’s Weekend Sked; News Before Breakfast; Honolulu a Digital City; City’s Energy Consumption; Occupy Honolulu Saturday; City’s Final ORI Plan; From $2,500 To $560 Million; Alternate Sludge Technologies: The Response; Where’s Carlisle?

November 3: Laulani Village Shopping Center Breaks Ground; Two In, Two Out; City Meets HUD Deadline; ‘I Wouldn’t Be Surprised’; Rematch: Caldwell Running For Mayor; ZBA, Finally; HART Meetings This Morning; Where’s Carlisle?

November 2: Homeless Possessions Bill Advances; APEC Reimbursement Reso Adopted; Airport Sheriffs Get Pepperball, Too; Berg’s Rail Charter Amendment Dies; Sign Bill Deferred; ‘An Unsuccessful Third Generation Real Estate Developer’; Lecture From A Freethinker; $37 Million, Please; Missed Deadline?; Berg: Split Up Ewa Beach; Two Days; Kauai Hiking Water Rates, Too; On The Agenda; Today’s Council Honorees; Where’s Carlisle?

November 1: Rod Tam Sentencing Today; Where’s Carlisle?