Future of Hawaii newspapers uncertain amid parent company court-supervised restructuring, new state law triggers decline in gun sales, Kona airport to reopen today, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Owner of Star-Advertiser, other island newspapers, undergoing court-supervised restructuring, sale of company in the works. The owner of the Star-Advertiser, MidWeek, The Garden Island, Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today and various specialty magazines  has entered a court-supervised restructuring to reduce debt and to position the company for a possible sale to a partnership. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

Full CCAA (Canadian bankruptcy court) filings on Hawaii newspapers owner Black Press Ltd. can be found here.

Will A New Order Shut The Door On Future Rooftop Solar Across Hawaii? Hawaii’s solar industry leaders are butting heads with the state’s largest utility company over a recent Public Utilities Commission order that sets new rates for energy customers who want to sell the solar power they generate at home for use on the grid. Civil Beat.

New Gun Safety Training Rules May Be Hurting Sales. Supporters Say That’s A Good Thing. Firearms instructors must get re-certified under a new law that requires gun applicants to get training on mental health, suicide prevention and domestic violence. Civil Beat.

House, Senate Democrats share their legislative priorities. The Democratic majority caucuses in the state House and Senate have some different priorities heading into Wednesday’s start of the legislative session but agree on the need to address the effects of the Maui wildfires and prevent future ones across the state, increase affordable housing, reduce homelessness and add more health care workers. Star-Advertiser.

1 month remains for survey on UH presidential search. A survey asking what ought to be the top priorities for the University of Hawaii and its next president is open for only one more month, and UH leaders are urging all stakeholders — students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community members — to participate. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Oahu

City Council pursues resolution urging action on Oʻahu's invasive species management. Local leaders want the City and County of Honolulu to be more involved in managing Oʻahu’s invasive species. Hawaii Public Radio.

‘Residual fuel,’ environmental mitigation top priorities for Red Hill closure task force. With the bulk of the fuel removed from the Red Hill underground storage facility, crews are now turning their attention to 4,000 gallons of “residual fuel” and sludge. The Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill, which is now leading the closure efforts, is also focused on removing 10 miles of pipeline from the facility and tackling environmental remediation.  Hawaii News Now.

Commentary: OHA Backs Off On Its Push To Develop Kakaako Makai, At Least For Now. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs says it lacks the support in the Legislature to lift a ban on development and appears to be repositioning itself. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Hawai‘i Island lawmakers talk priorities ahead of the 2024 State Legislative session. The recovery of Maui following the devastating wildfires last August will be the focus of the Hawai‘i State Legislature’s 2024 session, however, Hawai‘i Island lawmakers are committed to ensuring that Big Island’s needs don’t get lost in the shuffle. Big Island Now.

Kona airport to reopen today after cracks fixed on runway. The Hawaii Department of Transportation issued a news advisory late Monday afternoon saying that Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole was “closed until further notice due to cracks on the runway.” Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.  Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. KITV4.

Kaumana Caves To Reopen Today. The caves have been closed since September of last year when a rock fall required an immediate closure. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Wildfire debris removal to begin in Lahaina. Fire debris removal begins in Lahaina on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 under a collaborative effort between the County of Maui, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers.  Maui Now. KHON2.

Second attempt to re-introduce ‘alala into the wild gets the go ahead. The Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday approved plans by the DLNR, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a pilot release of captive-bred ʻalalā onto forest reserve lands in east Maui. Maui News. KHON2.

After the Fire, Lahaina’s Whales Are Left in the Lurch. The August 2023 blaze torched the town’s harbor, disrupting a spotting network crucial to saving entangled whales. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Telcom says fiber-optic internet is available to 95% of Molokaʻi. Hawaiian Telcom says it has expanded fiber-optic internet access to 95% of Molokaʻi, four of the island's five ZIP codes. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Jobless rate plunges to 2.3 percent on Kaua‘i. A stout labor market posted its lowest unemployment rate since the infancy of the COVID-19 era, amid a pop in employment rolls on the island of Kaua‘i. Garden Island.



 

Spotlight on Sunshine Week: Gov. Neil Abercrombie 'wins' Lava Tube award

(News release) The Big Island Press Club this week gave Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie the dubious honor of naming him the recipient of the club's 15th annual Lava Tube award for a number of his actions last year. Like the lava tube itself, the award recognizes the year’s most notable offense for keeping the public in the dark.

The Press Club also honors the best efforts to promote openness in Hawaii with the Torch of Light award, which is also presented annually since 1997. The Torch of Light was awarded this year to the Judicial Selection Commission for releasing the names of Abercrombie's judicial nominees when he refused. An Honorable Mention went to the Star-Advertiser for its efforts, including litigation, to obtain release of the names.

It takes only one "indictment" for an elected or appointed official, commission or board to be dishonored with the Lava Tube, but, in Abercrombie's case, BIPC settled on two:

•  Abercrombie refused to name his list of nominees to fill a state Supreme Court vacancy, forcing the Star-Advertiser to sue, saying the secrecy violated the state's Uniform Information Practices Act. The state Supreme Court agreed. When the Office of Information Practices -- the state's watchdog agency charged with overseeing open records and public meeting laws -- opined in the Star-Advertiser's favor, Abercrombie replaced the agency's acting director.
•  The governor created, in secret, an emergency declaration suspending for five years dozens of regulations protecting shoreline access, historic preservation, air and water quality and other environmental and land use laws in order to begin removing military ordnance with no notice to the public.

The Lava Tube award is announced each year on March 16, Freedom of Information Day, honoring the birthday of James Madison. Born in 1751, Madison was author of the U.S. constitution and the foremost advocate for openness.

"Freedom of Information Day is a great reminder that the public's right to know is just that, a right. It should not and will not be compromised," said BIPC President Yisa Var. "The Big Island Press Club is happy to use these awards as a way to bring into the foreground those governing bodies that have done the best and the worst at upholding this freedom."

Established in 1967, BIPC is Hawaii's oldest continuously active press club. Learn more at http://bipc.wordpress.com/.