Hawaii residents leaving state, Carnival cancels Hawaii cruises for the rest of 2020, BLM infiltrates Kauai Trump rally, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii farmers market, with flowers ©2020 All Hawaii News

 Economists anticipate Hawaii’s shrinking population will decline further due to coronavirus. UH economists recently projected in a report that the state will see a net population loss of 19,000 over the next two years, which means an even bigger number of resident departures since that figure also takes into account the many people expected to move to Hawaii from other states and countries. Star-Advertiser.

With no job prospects on the horizon, some are moving to the mainland. A lack of job opportunities and no communication from the state’s unemployment office is driving some Hawaii residents to pack up their bags and move to the mainland. Hawaii News Now.

Is Hawaii Learning To Live With The Coronavirus? Message fatigue has become a real concern as Hawaii officials gear up public service announcements reminding people they need to wear masks, wash their hands and stay away from each other. Civil Beat.

Carnival cancels most 2020 US cruises, including those to Hawaii. Carnival’s rival Norwegian Cruise Line said it’s holding out hope it’ll be able to restart operations in November — and isn’t shutting down all operations just yet. Hawaii News Now.

Public service campaign inspires the catchy ‘Our Kuleana’. The Our Kuleana campaign — which features well-known island figures donning face masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 on TV and in print ads, as well as everyday folks taking up the challenge and posting photos of themselves masked up with the hashtag #ourkuleana — inspired Hilo musician Brandon Nakano. Tribune-Herald.

After Hawaii tourism reopens, will there be a flood or trickle of visitors? After seven months of tourism lockdowns, the state is finally ready to reopen the gates. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s arrival testing debate continues, decision expected this week. Several leaders and health officials are now sounding the alarm. They’re saying that more needs to be done or the state will see a surge in cases, and possibly another shut down by the end of the year. KHON2.

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Monday's The Deadline To Register Online To Vote And What Else To Know. There's a lot about 2020 that makes it a year to leave behind. But at least one important task remains: choosing the next president and filling a host of local offices, all with the power to impact our lives. Hawaii Public Radio.

Concerns remain about new Hawaii hemp law. Hawaii will adopt a federal industrial hemp production program at the end of this month, signalling the end of the state’s two-year-long Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. Tribune-Herald.

Navatek CEO Warned Workers Of ‘Draconian Consequences’ If They Slacked Off During Pandemic. Now, Martin Kao faces federal charges of bank fraud and money laundering for allegedly bilking the coronavirus relief program of $12.8 million. Civil Beat.

VIRUS TRACKER — Oct. 4: 70 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. Of the cases diagnosed on Sunday, two were in Maui County, 15 were on Hawaii island and 53 were on Oahu. Civil Beat.

State reports 3 additional COVID-19 fatalities, 70 new cases. The state is reporting three additional COVID-19 fatalities on Sunday, pushing the death toll from the virus in the islands to 156. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

2 candidates for Honolulu mayor have spent more than $3M on race so far. Despite the pandemic-depressed economy, the Honolulu mayor’s race is turning out to be a big spending contest. Combined, the two remaining candidates have spent more than $3 million through Sept. 30. Hawaii News Now.

Here’s How Honolulu’s Mayoral Candidates Differ — Or Not — On Police Reform. Both candidates are largely content with the department and the practices that are already in place. Neither would cut police funding. Civil Beat.

Tourism restart may delay Tier 2. Oahu’s reopening metrics are so restrictive that even the return of only a few thousand tourists, might be enough to upset the fragile balance and keep the county from further economic reopening. Star-Advertiser.

The beaches at Ko Olina are opened again. Why aren’t the public parking lots? Public access advocates say the Ko Olina Resort is using the pandemic as an excuse to restrict beach access. Hawaii News Now.

Affordable rentals for Hawaiians to rise in Moiliili. A 23-story apartment tower is slated to rise on the former Stadium Bowl-O-Drome site in Moiliili, providing affordable rentals for 277 Native Hawaiian households. Star-Advertiser.

UH-Manoa plans apartment towers with below-market rents. A few years from now, University of Hawaii students and faculty should have a very different option for living on the school’s flagship Manoa campus. Star-Advertiser.

State nears ownership of Doris Duke’s former boat basin. The state has tentatively agreed to accept the Doris Duke Foundation of Islamic Art’s offer of up to $1 million to underwrite the cost of dismantling a breakwater that protects a popular swimming cove at the late heiress’ former Black Point estate, but it’s unclear whether the controversial project will happen. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Finalists for mayor head down the home stretch. There’s a lot of agreement, but also major differences, between the two candidates running for Hawaii County’s top office. West Hawaii Today.

Fiber optic ring will improve internet speed, stability. Just when COVID-19 has turned many meetings virtual and a faster, more stable communications network is needed most, a project a decade in the making is about to reach completion. West Hawaii Today.

Papaikou Mill Beach Eminent Domain Back On Council Agenda. On Tuesday, a Hawaiʻi County Council committee will discuss a new resolution to authorize proceedings in eminent domain to provide public access to the beach at Pāpaʻikou. Big Island Video News.

‘Very concerning for everybody’: Hawaii Island posts largest single-day jump in new COVID-19 cases. The state Department of Health reported 43 of the new 133 statewide positive cases were on the Big Island in its Saturday noon report. West Hawaii Today.

26 infected in emerging COVID-19 outbreak at the University of the Nations Kona. The University of the Nations in Kailua-Kona is now up to 26 cases of COVID-19 after 16 cases were reported by the Department of Health on Oct. 3. KHON2.

Singing the blues: Musical gigs almost nonexistent for island musicians. Since COVID-19 changed life as we know it in March, entertainment has generally meant sitting in front of the TV at home or watching videos on a computer or mobile device. Tribune-Herald.

Parker Ranch Plans To Build “Cowboy Housing”. Parker Ranch decided to construct 10 to 12 new homes "based on compelling results generated by ranching operations over the last several years." Big Island Video News.

Parker Ranch to build new homes for working cowboys in 2021-22. Parker Ranch will build new housing for working cowboys in its Livestock Division over the next two years. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Community Budget Meetings for Fiscal Year 2022 Begin This Week. The first in a series of six community budget meetings for Fiscal Year 2022, hosted by Mayor Michael Victorino and his administration, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6. Maui Now.

Hotels see slight uptick in demand. Government and industry leaders are seeing a slight uptick in hotel demand for Maui ahead of the state’s pre-travel testing program, an effort to revive the state’s visitor-reliant economy. Maui News.

Most schools still distance learning. When public school resumes after fall break, only three Maui County campuses are planning to immediately make changes to involve more face-to-face learning. Maui News.

Kauai

Mason Chock. While serving in the Kaua‘i Fire Department for 12 years as a firefighter, incumbent Kaua‘i County Councilmember Mason Chock, 49, was tested by a pivotal moment. Garden Island.

Pro-Trump rally infiltrated. Black Lives Matter counter-protesters — one dressed in Ku Klux Klan garb and another as a Boogaloo Boi wearing an aloha shirt and mask of President Donald Trump — infiltrated a pro-Trump rally in Kapa‘a Friday afternoon and briefly baffled several hundred people who drove by on Kuhio Highway. Garden Island.

More trees on Kauai afflicted with rapid ohia death disease. State officials have found nine more trees on Kauai afflicted with rapid ohia death, the fungal blight that has decimated hundreds of thousands of native ohia trees in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Molokai

Molokai council candidates back for a Round 3. Stacy Crivello challenges Keani Rawlins-Fernandez for her old seat. Maui News.

Unemployment chief goes on leave amid system meltdown that leaves thousands unpaid, Black Lives Matter demonstrations draw peaceful crowds, campaign donor gets big COVID contract, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Scott Murakami (l) with Gov. David Ige in April 22 Facebook live session

The Head Of Hawaii’s Unemployment Office Is On Leave. It’s not clear whether the leave is voluntary, but agency officials say the labor director had been receiving death threats. Civil Beat.

Hawaii unemployment office director on leave, governor’s office confirms. Scott Murakami, the director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, is currently on leave, putting his deputy in charge, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Ige’s office confirmed Saturday. Murakami told a state House committee last month that his employees were receiving death threats because of the issues filing claims. Star-Advertiser.

Senate COVID-19 committee will not be "investigative". The resolution to make the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 "investigative," giving it the power to subpoena, has been rescinded. KITV4.

How A Major Campaign Donor Got A Million-Dollar Cleaning Contract In Honolulu. The contract, as well as a job on Maui, was approved after Gov. David Ige suspended procurement rules. Civil Beat.

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Thousands of Hawaii protesters rally for Black Lives Matter on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui and Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Thousands Show Up Across Hawaii To Protest Racial Injustice. The peaceful march Saturday in Honolulu, organized by a youth-led group called Hawaii for Black Lives, drew a crowd estimated at nearly 10,000 protesters. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s weekend Black Lives Matter protests drew thousands statewide. Standing in solidarity with the national Black Lives Matter movement, thousands of Hawaii residents joined in protests across the islands this weekend. Hawaii News Now.


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UH to Begin Training COVID-19 Contact Tracers. The University of Hawaiʻi System-Hawaiʻi State Department of Health kicks off its Contact Tracing Training Program on Monday. Big Island Now.

State’s contact tracing training program kicks off Monday, expects to train hundreds by July. A state training program to trace the contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 starts Monday, June 8. KHON2.

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Germ-fighting ‘dry fog’ system used in prisons could also be used in schools and airports. A new disinfecting system that promises to kill everything from mold to the new coronavirus for at least 90 days is being applied in state prisons and has the potential for use in schools, airports and other buildings to help open Hawaii’s economy, state prison officials say. Star-Advertiser.

Pacific Islanders, Filipinos Have Highest COVID-19 Rates In Hawaii. New data on race shows that Native Hawaiians — previously lumped in with other Pacific Islanders — aren’t currently experiencing higher rates of COVID-19. Civil Beat.

Guidelines create incomplete Hawaii virus data, critics say. Coronavirus information from Hawaii health officials presents an incomplete story of the pandemic’s impact on racial and ethnic communities in the state, some critics said. KITV4.


Hawaii is likely to see more COVID-19 infections as reopening continues, health director says. The number of new coronavirus cases in Hawaii has increased slightly, nearly reaching half of all of May’s cases in the first week of this month. Star-Advertiser.

Weekend COVID cases rise as state figures out a plan to welcome visitors back. Lieutenant Governor Josh Green said we’ll find out soon whether or not the two-week quarantine or travelers into the state will be lifted. KHON2.

2 new COVID-19 cases, 1 new hospitalization reported Sunday. On Sunday, just two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Hawaii. The two new cases came after both Friday and Saturday consecutively revealed nine new cases on each day. Hawaii News Now.

2 new Oahu coronavirus cases, 509 out-of-state new visitor arrivals to Hawaii. Out-of-state visitor arrivals to Hawaii rose to 509 Saturday, the sixth day in a row that incoming arrivals topped 400. Star-Advertiser.

VIRUS TRACKER — JUNE 7: 2 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. Both new cases were reported on Oahu. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Another audit reveals problems, this time with city parks. The city auditor Friday blasted inadequate maintenance of Honolulu parks, blaming the lack of management and resources. Hawaii News Now.

The new normal for offices will include staggered shifts, limits, more remote working. Many companies with offices downtown are in no hurry to reopen, with some waiting until the end of the month, others until July and even others, beyond that. Star-Advertiser.

Dentist’s offices are reopening for routine care, with fewer patients at a time. Slowly, but surely, dentist’s offices are reopening for routine cleanings and nonemergency procedures. Star-Advertiser.

Single-family homes and condo sales dropped 51% in May. Sales of single-family homes and condominiums on Oahu tanked in May as owners and buyers elected to practice social distancing. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Young Brothers making changes, barge arrival returning to Mondays. Young Brothers will continue operations under a reduced sailing schedule for the next month, but Monday barge service in Hilo is set to resume soon. West Hawaii Today.

Creagan withdraws candidacy: Bondera selected as heir apparent in Democratic contest for House District 5. State Rep. Richard Creagan dropped out of the House District 5 race after hiring a handpicked, last-minute candidate to manage his legislative office in Honolulu. West Hawaii Today.

HECO selects 3 Big Island projects in quest for renewable energy, energy storage. A pair of solar-plus-storage projects that will generate 120 megawatts of solar power with 480 megawatt-hour storage capacity in South Kohala are moving forward. West Hawaii Today.

Hilo DMV: Make an appointment. While the county’s Department of Motor Vehicles is open again for in-person services, residents are advised to make an appointment or be prepared to wait. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

County Council passes austere $823M budget. The Maui County Council on Friday approved on second and final reading an $822.6 million county budget for fiscal 2020-21, which reflects the “new normal” as the county deals with coronavirus impacts. Maui News.

MRA seeks more information from hotel developers. Meeting on review of environmental report stretches over 2 days. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai Has A New Plan For Its Vacant Residential Drug Treatment Facility. The director of Hope Treatment Services said the county broke his contract to provide inpatient drug treatment to youth because it couldn’t obtain a license to operate fast enough. Civil Beat.

These Kauai Cops Are Tired Of Racist Police Killings, Too. Kauai’s police chief is encouraging officers to attend protests and have candid conversations with citizens — and each other. Civil Beat.

Restarting Kaua‘i. Broadband infrastructure, cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and implementing a new model for visitor travel are among the ideas that can leverage Kaua‘i’s future post-coronavirus. Garden Island.

Malama Pono Health Services gets grant, launches mobile-health van. Malama Pono Health Services received $200,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus funds for COVID-19 emergency housing and utilities assistance through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Garden Island.