Hawaii House leadership faces upheaval with Luke's LG candidacy, recall petition filed against Maui mayor Victorino, floating wind turbines mulled off Oahu, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Sylvia Luke

Sylvia Luke’s Bid For LG Will ‘Shake Things Up’ At The Legislature. As Finance Committee chairwoman, Luke controls the money, has command of the details and has made a lot of friends. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

COVID-19 vaccinations for younger children in Hawaii could begin Nov. 8, Ige says. David Ige expects the first round of COVID-19 vaccines for Hawaii children ages 5 to 11 to begin around Nov. 8, following expected federal approval. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Once vaccine for younger kids gets OK, more than 100 schools to host vaccination sites. State Department of Health spokesperson Brooks Baehr said 113 schools have already agreed to become vaccination sites. Hawaii News Now.

Senator Kurt Fevella seeks halt to vaccine incentive payments to prisoners. The state Senate minority leader is seeking an immediate stop to an incentive program that offers $50 pay­ments to inmates in Hawaii’s prisons and jails if they accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. KITV4.

Bank of Hawaii earnings jump 64% amid improving economy. Bank of Hawaii Corp.’s earnings surged 64% in the third quarter as the company hit a record $23 billion in total assets and released $10.4 million from its loan-loss reserve amid an improving economy. Star-Advertiser.

Ige eyeing tweaks to Safe Travels program. Gov. David Ige has no plans to end the Safe Travels program, but is considering adding more options for users. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News  Now.

Hawaii sees 97 new coronavirus cases, bringing statewide total to 83,448. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 42 new cases on Oahu, 28 on Hawaii Island, eight on Maui, seven on Kauai, and 12 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Electricity generated by proposed floating wind turbines off Oahu is feasible, new study finds. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently completed a cost and feasibility analysis for floating wind farm power in federal waters at least 3 nautical miles from the shoreline of Hawaii’s most populous island. Star-Advertiser.

Alleged Hawaii crime boss seeks September trial date. Michael Miske, the alleged leader of a Honolulu crime syndicate that used legitimate businesses to conceal drug dealing, murder, arson, fraud and other offenses is seeking a later start to his trial to allow his attorneys more time to review evidence and prepare a defense. Star-Advertiser.

Retired public defender in Kealoha mailbox trial details drama, interagency tensions in new book. Federal public defender Alexander Silvert, now retired, represented that innocent man — Gerard Puana, who wept after his name had been cleared. But it would take seven years and several trials to finally get the convictions of the former chief and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former high-ranking Honolulu prosecutor. Hawaii Public Radio.

New Video Allegedly Shows Honolulu Police Leaving Scene Of Makaha Crash. The attorney who provided the video says it shows three police vehicles pursuing a Honda at a high rate of speed on the Farrington Highway. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Kaneohe Marines say wastewater released into ocean exceeds acceptable bacteria levels. Effluent water from Marine Corps Base Hawaii is combined with treated water from the city’s Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is then discharged some two miles off-shore of MCBH at 110 feet below the surface of the ocean into a mixing zone, where direct risk of exposure is low. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Residents protest failed injunction against COVID restrictions. Native Hawaiian activist Gene Tamashiro filed a petition in August in Third Circuit Court calling for an end to all vaccination and mask mandates in the state. On Monday, Judge Henry Nakamoto dismissed the petition with prejudice, arguing that the petition had no merit. Tribune-Herald.

$300,000 coming to coffee farmers to battle leaf rust. The  is coming from the state Department of Agriculture, thanks to a bill passed by the state Legislature extending and enhancing the state’s Coffee Berry Borer Pesticide Subsidy program. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

“Recall Mayor Victorino” Initiative Aims to Obtain 21,586 Signatures in 30 Days. Group leaders say they are seeking Mayor Victorino’s removal as they stand in opposition to ongoing emergency health mandates, calling the county government practices an “overreach” of powers. The group submitted an affidavit with the County Clerk’s office on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 to begin the legal process of seeking a recall. Maui Now. Maui News. KITV4.

ʻĀina kupuna bill aims to help long-time Maui families keep ancestral lands amid rising property taxes. Maui County Council members are considering a measure to help long-time families keep their ancestral lands — properties that have been passed down for at least three generations. Hawaii Public Radio.

For some on Maui, bike tours are a ‘nuisance on the roads.’ They want new regulations. The Kula Community Association wants more regulations on the bike tour companies. They want to regulate the hours of the tours, size of the groups, even set an age requirement. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Surfrider seeks hearing on shrimp farm permit. Kaua‘i Shrimp, the island’s only shrimp farm, is seeking a new pollutant permit, which is raising concern from some environmentalists. Garden Island.

Namolokama Canoe Club hale’s future still to be determined. County officials and residents have been assured the Black Pot Beach Park Master Plan is not set in stone, after the Namolokama Canoe Club raised objection to the potential demolition of the old Hanalei Canoe Club buildings near the park. Garden Island.