Hawaii important to China military missions, Green seeks to lower age for vaccinations, bankruptcies plunge, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Troop transport at Pohakuloa Training Area ©2021 All Hawaii News

 
 Hawaii is used to train island-hopping military. Hawaii isn’t an island chain in the Western or South Pacific, but it is being used to replicate one for multiservice military training as the Army and Marines prepare to become a 21st-century island-hopping force to counter China. Star-Advertiser.

‘Golf ball’ radar helps plug gap in Pacific. The giant Sea-Based X-Band Radar has come and gone from Hawaii again as it embarks on another lengthy defense-of-the-homeland and missile defense testing mission. Star-Advertiser.

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Lt. Gov. wants to push up vaccination of 65 and older as COVID-19 variants spread across mainland. Green says the state could potentially see a surge in cases among younger people who party or gather and that he worries they could bring the highly transmissible strain into their home and spread it to parents or kupuna. KHON2.

Other States Have Opened Vaccinations To Those As Young As 65. Why Not Hawaii?. Some argue the state should prioritize the most vulnerable before vaccinating a long list of essential workers. Civil Beat.

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Hawaii House Panel Strikes Down DHHL Casino Proposal. A companion measure is still alive in the Senate, though the gambling bills face opposition from some legislative leaders and the governor. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald.

Bills aim to save Hawaii’s beaches. Hawaii lawmakers are considering bills this legislative session that could force oceanfront property owners to remove sandbags and draped heavy tarps that can significantly contribute to coastal erosion. Star-Advertiser.

Wage hike bills draw concern. The minimum wage in Hawaii could rise as high as $17 an hour under several new bills in the state Legislature, which has some businesses worried about their future. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii lawmakers consider moratorium on commercial business evictions. Commercial landlords would be prohibited from evicting tenants under a bill Hawaii lawmakers took up last week to try to assist businesses reeling from the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Lawmakers Advance New Tax On Alcoholic Drinks. The new state tax of 10 cents a drink would be in effect for the next three years, and raise about $62 million a year. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

House’s proposal ends contested case land use hearings, sending them directly to court. In a supposed effort to streamline the state’s contested case hearing process, a controversial new bill in the state Legislature would end those hearings over land use issues entirely. Tribune-Herald.

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State bankruptcies plunged nearly 25% in January. The number of cases in January plunged 24.8% on the strength of financial aid as well as signs that the vaccine rollout is providing hope that Hawaii’s economy can recover in the second half of the year. Star-Advertiser.

Data shows some Hawaii public school students struggling amid coronavirus. Elementary school students are having trouble keeping up with coursework during the pandemic, with 21% “well below” proficiency in English and 15% falling short in math in the first semester, new public school data shows. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii to receive $2 million in opioid epidemic settlement. The state is set to receive nearly $2 million as part of its share in a multistate opioid epidemic settlement.  KHON2.

Micronesians Wait Their Turn As Other Pacific Islanders Head Home. Hundreds of people from Pacific islands and territories have been stranded abroad for months after their homelands closed borders early in the pandemic. Civil Beat.

HAWAII VIRUS TRACKER — Feb. 7: 75 New COVID-19 Infections And Two Deaths. Hawaii health officials reported 75 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday including 51 on Oahu, 15 on Maui, seven on the Big Island and two residents diagnosed out of state. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Commission questions disparities in use of force. The disproportionate involvement of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Blacks in police arrests and “use of force” incidents caught the attention of Hono­lulu Police Commission members in their ongoing re-examination of Honolulu Police Department policies — an effort that sprung from recent police shootings on the mainland and calls for law enforcement reforms nationwide. Star-Advertiser.

Deadline for public input on new Aloha Stadium Entertainment District is Feb. 8. State officials released a drafted environmental impact statement detailing the project’s impacts on the surrounding environment on Dec. 23 and encouraged Hawaii residents to comment on the proposal. KHON2.

COVID-19 created a new problem for recently released inmates, prison reform advocates say. United Self-Help’s executive director said more and more of these maxed-out prisoners are being turned away from the shelters, forcing them to live on the streets. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Feds Fine Hilo Veterans Home $500,000 Over Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak. State health officials said it was the largest fine they could recall for a longterm care facility. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

‘Funky,’ ‘goofy’ and postponed: Waikoloa project withdrawn. A rezoning and application for a Waikoloa affordable housing project with a past that a planning consultant called “funky” and a councilman called “goofy” were withdrawn Tuesday from the County Council Planning Committee for a redo. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Hosts liable for underage drinking. Maui County Council unanimously approved a bill that will make the host of a Maui gathering at home or another private residence liable for illegal underage drinking. Maui News.

Mahi Pono farmers pivot amid pandemic. New crops go to market; 3,500 acres of plantings slated this year. Maui News.

New Maui Commission on Healing Solutions for Homelessness Accepting Applications. The Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee is seeking applications for the new Commission on Healing Solutions for Homelessness, Chair Mike Molina announced today. Maui Now.

Kauai

Public hearing on property-tax exemptions slated for today. The County of Kaua‘i Department of Finance will hold a public hearing today on proposed amendments to rules and regulations relating to real-property-tax home and related exemptions. Garden Island.

Survey: Princeville residents overwhelmingly dislike ‘glamping’ plan. A stunning 94% of Princeville residents and property owners believe that preserving open space in Hawai‘i’s first planned community is critical as it ponders its options in resisting a proposed luxury-camping resort. Garden Island.

40% of KCC students are food-insecure. Some 40% of Kaua‘i Community College students reported they are food-insecure, Chancellor Joe Daisy said last week. Garden Island.

Honolulu reels from arrests of former police chief and deputy prosecutor wife, police chief candidates' interviews begin today, Tsutsui won't run for Maui mayor, pension plan improves, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Former Honolulu Police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, city deputy prosecutor Katherine Kealoha

How Far Will The Honolulu Police Corruption Investigation Spread? The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its grand jury investigation into corruption and abuse of power. Civil Beat.

A curious allegation of mailbox theft unraveled into a tale of corruption that reached the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement, culminating in a U.S. investigation that found the former police chief and his prosecutor wife bilked clients and relatives out of hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on their lavish lifestyle and then used their power to orchestrate a plot within the police department to target anyone who threatened them. Associated Press.

Honolulu’s former police chief and his city deputy prosecutor wife were arrested Friday in the most significant case of alleged public abuse of power in state history, and prosecutors said the investigation could lead to even further charges. Star-Advertiser.

One day after a federal grand jury completed a two-year investigation into public corruption and abuse of power in Hawaii law enforcement, former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine, a high-ranking city prosecutor, were arrested Friday by the FBI and indicted on 20 counts of criminal conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice. Civil Beat.

A Guide To The Case Against The Kealohas. The former Honolulu police chief and his wife, a city prosecutor, have pleaded not guilty to the charges contained in a federal indictment. Civil Beat.

Read full indictment here.

Frustrated Honolulu residents may feel a greater urgency for members of the Police Commission to pick a successor to Louis Kealoha in the wake of the arrest of the former chief two days ago. Star-Advertiser.

Federal case likely to raise doubts over work as prosecutor. The federal indictment of Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha on charges ranging from bank fraud to obstruction of justice raises enough red flags that prosecutors should review all the cases she’s worked on the past several years to ensure they were handled properly, according to criminal defense attorneys. Star-Advertiser.

The first interviews for finalist up for the job of Honolulu's Police Chief begin on Monday. KITV.

Commentary: Kealoha’s tenure began with such promise. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Kealoha arrests drag down HPD. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Let’s Scrap The Police Chief Search And Start Over. Civil Beat.

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Lawmakers press home lands agency to create housing. As the state grapples with a severe shortage of affordable housing and the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the country, some lawmakers want the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to pitch in resources to help solve the pressing problems. Star-Advertiser.

Pension fund ends year on a slightly higher note. Hawaii’s largest public pension fund performed slightly better in fiscal year 2017 than it reported two months ago in its preliminary numbers. Star-Advertiser.

Planners release 30-second nuclear preparedness PSAs. State emergency planners have released their first public service announcement related to North Korea preparedness, a nonthreatening 30-second video that doesn’t specifically mention the rogue nation or remote possibility of a nuclear attack on Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

‘Golf ball’ radar’s limitations seen. The Sea-Based X-Band Radar, a key link in the nation’s defense against North Korea, spent eight months at sea before returning to its home in Pearl Harbor last month. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii’s Hyperbaric Treatment Center has closed indefinitely because of staffing problems, a University of Hawaii spokesman said Sunday. Star-Advertiser.

Timeshare property sales in Hawaii have exceeded $1 billion annually in recent years, and a new report tries to quantify how much employment and spending is tied to this segment of the tourism industry. Star-Advertiser.

Lessor intends to seize Island Air’s last 3 planes. An attorney for Island Air’s aircraft lessor said he is planning to take legal action to seize the airline’s three remaining aircraft and is demanding the state’s second-largest carrier make payments if it is going to be allowed to use them. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Co. customers have two new ways to add photovoltaic systems to their homes after a decision Friday by the state Public Utilities Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Rail’s ‘Plan B’ not vetted by federal agency. State lawmakers last month approved a $2.4 billion funding package to build the full rail line to Ala Moana Center. Last week the project’s federal partners said they never determined whether a scaled-back, less costly alternative to Aloha Tower would have worked instead. Star-Advertiser.

The state Land Use Commission has approved one of two petitions by corn seed producer Monsanto to restrict portions of farmland the company owns on Oahu and Molokai for agriculture use under a state law aimed at preserving prime farmland. Star-Advertiser.

State Plans To Clear Out Homeless Camp Under Honolulu Freeway. Moanalua Stream will also be blocked, in order to keep those with rafts or boats from returning or setting up camp elsewhere. Civil Beat.

Boat That Ran Aground 0ff Honolulu Sent No Distress Signal. The wreck of the fishing vessel, carrying workers from Southeast Asia, raises concerns about the treatment of foreign crews. Civil Beat.

Grounding raises fresh concerns over foreign fishermen. A boat that ran aground off Waikiki while transporting foreign fishermen to work in Hawaii’s commercial fishing industry has raised new questions about the safety and working conditions for foreign laborers in this unique U.S. fleet. Associated Press.

Two recent ground-breakings in Kapolei represent significant additions to their respective markets. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hotel market heating up outside the Waikiki core. Developers and the visitor industry say more hotel construction could be coming outside the usual resort districts, and even in them if the market continues to shine. Star-Advertiser.

Denver-based KSL Capital Partners, which bought Outrigger Hotels and Resorts late last year, is kicking off an aggressive Waikiki reinvestment plan with a $25 million overhaul and re-branding of the Waikiki Beachcomber. Star-Advertiser.

The Howard Hughes Corp. has started demolition work at the shuttered Ward Warehouse shopping complex in Honolulu and plans to tear the buildings down by the end of the year, but has yet to schedule construction of the Gateway Towers project that will replace it. Pacific Business News.

Sales of single-family homes in Kaneohe nearly doubled last month, while the number of condominiums and townhouses sold in the Windward Oahu town rose 24 percent, compared to September 2016, according to the monthly local market report from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Real estate developer Bruce Stark — who left his stamp on Hawaii with the building of residential condominiums, offices and retail space beginning in 1966 — died Thursday at age 82. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County is leading the state in motor vehicle traffic fatalities — trailing only Honolulu when it comes to overall roadway deaths — according to data released last week by the state Department of Transportation. West Hawaii Today.

Three weeks after the Thirty Meter Telescope was granted its construction permit, the developer and eventual operator of the planned $1.4 billion cutting-edge observatory says it is still evaluating its next move. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds of acres of Hawaiian home lands have been set aside for subsistence-agriculture plots along the road leading to Akaka Falls and the surrounding region, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has scheduled community meetings to discuss the project. Tribune-Herald.

Reality is setting in that the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill will have to be closed within two years. A draft environmental assessment has been published for the Hilo landfill closure project, a costly (approximately $19 million) and highly regulated undertaking that must confirm to various county, state and federal rules. Big Island Video News.

The state Department of Transportation will extend four lanes on Highway 130 to Shower Drive over the next month as it restripes a 2-mile stretch of pavement. Tribune-Herald.

A Keaukaha fixture for more than 50 years might be gone by this time next year. Members of the Hilo Yacht Club will decide later this year whether the club will remain at its current location or move to a new building. Tribune-Herald.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding nearly $3 million in funding to a community association for a subdivision in Puna to improve its community drinking water system. Star-Advertiser.

Iwo Jima vets meet the new guys. West Hawaii Today.


Maui

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui said Friday that he will not be running for Maui County mayor in 2018 due to family reasons in an announcement that throws open the race to succeed Mayor Alan Arakawa, who is term limited. Maui News.

The Maui News is going back to afternoon home delivery for many newspaper subscribers and will cease producing a Sunday paper in a move to cut costs. Star-Advertiser.

Maui's only big box bookstore, Barnes & Noble is set to close. Hawaii News Now.

Scientists Dana Reed and Cathy Maxwell will be at Kohola Brewery in Lahaina at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to share information and answer questions about the nearshore water quality in West Maui. Maui News.

Maui Disposal reported 6 tons of material was collected at the 13th annual Lahaina Town Clean Up on Sept. 16. More than 300 volunteers spent the day cleaning up Lahaina streets, harbors and beaches from Puamana to the Mala Boat Ramp. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai Community College’s nursing program has been awarded accreditation for eight years, the longest period possible, by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Garden Island.

County celebrates hiring collaboration. Summer Youth Employment Program praised. Garden Island.

Hawaii gun laws hit target. Residents, representatives praise state policies. Garden Island.

Geographic boundary changes in the Kalaheo area will go into effect for school year 2019-20. The change will result in more students enrolling at Waimea Canyon Middle and Waimea High schools. Garden Island.

Power line collisions kill about 1,800 seabirds annually on Kauai, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-commissioned study. Members of the Center for Biological Diversity are on Kauai this week finding ways to help curb the collisions. Garden Island.

Another $13M to house homeless, Pearl Harbor vessel to check North Korea missile, racial slur on Hilo shopfront, smaller Aloha Stadium planned, OHA meeting disintegrates, 3 council members named in Maui ethics case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki homeless © 2017 All Hawaii News

Thirty-three homeless shelters across the islands are pledging to collectively add nearly 200 beds and to more than double the number of clients they place into permanent housing, Gov. David Ige announced Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

State contracts that support homeless shelter operations will fund nearly 200 more shelter beds in 2017 compared to last year, Gov. David Ige announced Thursday. Civil Beat.

The Governor announced an increase in homeless shelter beds statewide over the next 12 months. Hawaii Public Radio.

Death And Taxes: Two Certainties For This Year’s Hawaii Legislature. Lawmakers will consider medical aid in dying legislation while also weighing how to fund transportation projects such as Honolulu rail. Civil Beat.

Longtime state political lobbyist John Radcliffe is the face and voice of the latest push to give terminally ill patients in Hawaii, like himself, the legal ability to end their lives on their own terms. Star-Advertiser.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday against the state of Hawaii aims to grant terminally ill, mentally competent patients the right to medical aid in dying. Civil Beat.

Days after critics called for a federal probe into “unconstitutional” conditions at the state’s prisons and jails, Hawaii Department of Public Safety officials fielded questions from state lawmakers about the governor’s budget proposal that offers little in the way of quick solutions. Civil Beat.

Is Hawaii Spending Enough To Protect Its Natural Resources? The challenge facing the DLNR is called “overwhelming,” but the agency hasn’t hired all the people it’s authorized to. Civil Beat.

The Sea-Based X-Band Radar has deployed out of Pearl Harbor after North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un recently said his country was in the “final stages” of test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii ranks near the bottom half when compared to other U.S. states and territories for releases of toxic chemicals into the air, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pacific Business News.

Terry Surles, who was a top executive for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii Manoa, has been named interim administrator of the state Energy Office, industry sources confirmed to Pacific Business News Thursday.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been named as co-trustee to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs now has an official voice in the management of the world’s largest marine conservation area. Associated Press.

A Board of Trustees meeting at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs abruptly ended shortly after it started Thursday when a majority of the members walked out. Civil Beat.

A procedural dispute short-circuited an expected showdown over whether the CEO at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs stays or goes. KITV.

Robert Farrell has been tapped to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

House Speaker Joe Souki says he supports plans to make the half-percent excise tax surcharge for the Honolulu rail project permanent, and wants to use money from the surcharge to extend the rail line to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, but only on one condition: Souki says the city must contribute its own funding to help pay to build the project. Star-Advertiser.

The Aloha Stadium Authority is recommending that the state seek ancillary development to help underwrite a new, slightly smaller stadium on land surrounding the deteriorating 42-year-old Aloha Stadium. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii state agency that oversees Aloha Stadium has approved a plan to move ahead with the development of a smaller stadium that would replace the aging and outdated Honolulu facility that was once the longtime home to University of Hawaii football and the NFL’s Pro Bowl. Pacific Business News.

Latest push to expand cell phone ban targets pedestrians, bicyclists. KHON2.

Gov. David Ige has until Feb. 11 to decide who will fill two seats left vacant on Oahu’s Circuit Court following the retirement of Judges Steven Alm in August and Karen Ahn in June. Star-Advertiser.

Popular hike has tenants calling out for solutions. Star-Advertiser.

A development team led by a New York company received more than $50 million in state and federal financing to build a “micro-unit” rental apartment tower in Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Vandal writes 'No Blacks' on Hilo Boutique. KITV.

The nearly 1,000-acre Makalei Golf Club community on the Big Island of Hawaii is on the market with an asking price of $11.25 million for the undeveloped subdivision, Pacific Business News has learned.

Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii’s flagship carrier, announced Thursday it will launch once daily non-stop service between Kauai and Kailua-Kona. West Hawaii Today.

Thousands of people have flocked to Kamokuna on the Big Island to get as close as they can to the lava flow entering the ocean from Kilauea's Pu'u O'o vent. Many of them are getting their via tour boats. And the National Park Service says those boats are raising concerns about safety. Hawaii News Now.

A stream of lava continues to gush out the side of a sea cliff in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as the 61g flow struggles to rebuild a delta of volcanic rock that calved like a glacier New Year’s Eve. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

A Wailuku man has filed a complaint with the Maui County Board of Ethics over alleged ethics violations by three County Council members during the council’s initial meeting of the new term on Jan. 2 and 3. Maui News.

A U.S. district judge late last month whittled down the number of claims against Mayor Alan Arakawa in his personal capacity in a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by former Film Commissioner Harry Donenfeld. Maui News.

Thar She Blows! Maui Whale Season in Full Bloom. Maui Now.

Kauai

If the Kauai County Council was aware Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. did not support a bill to legalize drinking on the Wailua Golf Course, it would have saved a lot of time and trouble, said Councilman Ross Kagawa. Garden Island.

Gov. David Ige announced the state Department of Human Services will award contracts to 33 homeless shelters, including Kauai Economic Opportunity on Kauai. Garden Island.

Volunteers are needed to help Kauai Economic Opportunity with its annual homeless census. Garden Island.