Slow progress for Hawaii students, Oahu wildfire grows, Lahaina fire victims need financial help, housing, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Test Scores Show Slow Progress For Hawaii Students. While chronic absenteeism improved in Hawaii public schools, there was little improvement in reading and math scores in the 2022-23 school year. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi’s waterfall-climbing fish threatened by climate change, human activity. Research out of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa focused on ʻoʻopu nākea — a type of goby fish found only in Hawaiʻi — to link the importance of the mountain to ocean approach in the stewardship of the state’s natural and cultural resources. Kauai Now.

Oahu

700 acres scorched as crews continue battling wildfire above Mililani Mauka. By 4:30 p.m. Tuesday fire officials said the wildland blaze had grown but that airborne fire crews had suspended operations for that evening. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.

How Recruiting More Women Could Help Police Solve A ‘Staffing Crisis’. Leaders say implementing policies, like paid maternity leave, could help bring more women to the force and improve policing overall. Civil Beat.

Settlement over lack of girls' locker rooms at Campbell High School includes independent evaluator.  A 2018 class-action lawsuit over a lack of locker rooms for female athletes at Hawaii's largest public school has reached a settlement that attorneys say will ensure athletic gender equity at the high school. Associated Press.

Lawmaker wants solar panels over troubled Sunset Memorial Park. There’s a novel proposal in the works for a Pearl City cemetery that’s been plagued with problems for more than a decade. A local lawmaker wants to install solar panels over Sunset Memorial Park, with hopes of generating money and a solution to its list of problems. KHON2.

Couple convicted in ID theft case. A jury has convicted a Hawaii couple of conspiracy, passport fraud and identity theft for stealing identities and living for decades under the names of dead babies.  Civil Beat. Associated Press.

Health Department issues red placard to Queen’s food vendor. The state Health Department has shut down Cooking Fresh, a food establishment in the lobby at Queen’s Medical Center Physicians Office Building III in Honolulu due to a lack of proper refrigeration. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii to receive $23.5M for Kawaihae Harbor. The funding will be used to widen the highway adjacent to the port, pave 10 acres in the cargo yard, build new 80-foot mast lighting to replace lower lighting equipment, install conduits and raised transformer pads for expanded reefer plug-ins, and relocate an office building and a maintenance shed. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Video News.

Council resolution asks government agencies to help mitigate visitor impacts at Kumukahi. The Hawaii County Council is urging county and state administrations to take steps to preserve the easternmost edge of the Big Island in the face of increasing visitors. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Big Island fire department stations in desperate need of upgrades. After a long day or night of fighting everything from wildfires to house fires, Hawai’i Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Eric Moller said while they’re grateful to be of service, they wouldn’t mind a little more comfort.  Big Island Now.

DA BUX program gets more funding. Gov. Josh Green has released $500,000 for the DA BUX Double-Up Program, which doubles recipients’ purchasing power for locally grown produce, using their federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui emergency response officials ignored advice, turned down state help in early hours of disaster. Some of the people in charge on the day flames tore through Lahaina rejected the state’s advice ahead of the catastrophic wildfire and even refused extra state help in the early hours of the unfolding disaster. Hawaii News Now.

Lahaina fire survivors cite financial help, housing as greatest needs. Lahaina wildfire survivors cited financial recovery and permanent housing as their greatest needs, according to a recent survey by the state Department of Health. Star-Advertiser.  Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Unsafe Water Advisory lifted for remaining areas of Upper Kula. The Department of Water Supply has lifted the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula, removing the two remaining areas, UK-2B and UK-5. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i Community College nursing students get Mokihana Club support. In addition to the $30,000 in awards to current nursing program students, the Mokihana Club announced an additional $10,000 in scholarships awarded to two students, Deva Siblerud, and Mary Hall — both graduates of the KCC Nursing program — who are pursuing Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. Garden Island.

Green sea turtles hatch at Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kaua‘i. Green sea turtles nest on beaches in the general area of where they had hatched years earlier. The shoreline at PMRF is ideal for nests, since it is a protected and quiet location with limited human activity and light pollution. Kauai Now.

Marijuana decriminalization, banking sought; Honolulu tax hikes to pay for rail; senator is anti-vaxxer; Kealoha trial starts today; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Marijuana PC: Pixabay Commons

People caught with roughly three to five joints won’t be considered criminals under a bill awaiting Gov. David Ige’s signature, but it is unclear how many would actually benefit from the change. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Attorney General Clare E. Connors joined a bipartisan coalition urging Congress to grant the marijuana industry access to the federal banking system. Maui Now.

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Condo Associations May Be On Verge Of Gaining More Foreclosure Power. A bill on the governor’s desk seeks to bail the associations out of legal jeopardy and clarify they can take away property even if their bylaws don’t say so. Civil Beat.

HEI CEO tops isles’ salaries at $5.7M. Seven CEOs received total compensation last year of at least $3 million and two of them topped $5 million, according to recent company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Report card coming up for Hawaii public schools’ top official. Superintendent Christina Kishimoto is aiming to sharpen the focus to individual campuses with distinct approaches to education. Star-Advertiser.

ACLU Hawaii expands Title IX lawsuit against DOE to a class action lawsuit. A local civil rights group is still pushing to put boys and girls on equal playing fields. KITV.

Commentary: All talk, no political spine in controlling illegal vacation rentals in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Three tax increases proposed to cover rail costs. The three tax increases Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell proposed in his budget package earlier this year are designed in part to prepare the city to cover the cost of operations and maintenance of rail, a looming expense that rail critics have long warned would eventually force the city to raise taxes. Star-Advertiser.

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The Kealoha Trial Begins. The theft of a mailbox, which federal prosecutors say was staged, opened the door to the largest public corruption scandal in Hawaii history. Civil Beat.

Jury selection to begin Monday in high-profile Kealoha case. The city is warning drivers that traffic will be heavy around the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Monday, as an estimated 430 people are expected on the first day of jury selection for the so-called ‘mailbox’ trial. Hawaii News Now.

The trial of Honolulu's former police chief and his wife, a former deputy prosecutor, is set to begin with jury selection Monday. It's one of the state's most high-profile cases, so how does that affect jury selection? KHON2.

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Chinatown grapples with surge in homeless. Morning, noon and night in Chinatown they yell at the sky, mutter obscenities, and sleep in doorways where they sometimes reek of urine — or worse. Star-Advertiser.

 Abandoned boat spills oil into the Ala Wai Harbor. An unknown amount of oil leaked from an abandoned vessel at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Ruderman expresses vaccine concerns. As measles cases grow nationwide and state health leaders monitor mainland outbreaks, one Big Island state senator has expressed more concern about the vaccine than the disease itself. Tribune-Herald.

Commissions and boards could go nonpartisan. A ballot initiative making county boards nonpartisan was advanced Friday by the Charter Commission. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii Island charter school gets $12M in funds for new campus atop Kilauea. State leaders set aside $12 million in Capital Improvement Project funds for the construction of a new Keakealani Campus in Volcano Village at the summit of Kilauea. Hawaii News Now.

Students Build Machine To Clear Plastic Bits On Big Island Beach, Among World's Dirtiest. Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources is involved in a new project to clear microplastics from the state’s beaches, helped by a machine built by Canadian university students. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Council OKs higher property tax rates for most. Hotels, short-term rentals see greatest increase over 2018. The Maui County Council on Friday approved property tax rates for the next fiscal year, which includes near across-the-board increases for property owners with hotels and resorts seeing the highest increase. Maui News.

Official: Upcountry water users a priority. Death of controversial water rights bill leaves EMI ditch in question. Maui News.

Kauai

North Shore high school proposed. The high school is designed as a two-story, 46,888-square-foot structure that would host 600 students, grades 9-12. Garden Island.

No cause of death yet for Kekaha beached whale. Scientists say the whale calf that washed up on the shores of Kekaha Beach in January appears to be a failure to thrive case, with predators involved. Garden Island.

Ige proposes 7.2% budget increase, Honolulu prosecutor refuses to step down, Hawaii homelessness drops in new report, Lingle speaks to Maui vets, Kauai water diversion approved, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. David Ige presents budget, courtesy Governor's Office

Gov. David Ige is taking a cautious approach to the state’s biannual budget, holding back on about $100 million in proposed spending next year in case general fund growth is lower than expected. Star-Advertiser.

Governor Ige Submits "Conservative" Budget Request to Legislature. The Governor submitted his executive budget request to the state legislature today as required by law. Hawaii Public Radio.

Governor David Ige released his state budget proposal for the next two fiscal years. In it, more than $400 million toward public education. KITV.

State says budget proposal more conservative. Governor David Ige says he's taking a more conservative approach to the budget. He says the state may get about $150 to $180 million less in revenue in the current fiscal year than projected. KHON2.

Ige seeks two-year $31B budget. Gov. David Ige’s requested budget for the next two years includes an increase in the state’s disaster fund as well as increased staff to manage the lingering effects of 2018’s natural disasters. Tribune-Herald.

Ige proposes major expansion of ‘free college’ program for low-income students. Under a proposed budget to be presented to the state Legislature, Gov. David Ige would expand the Hawaii Promise program to all four-year colleges in the UH system with $19 million in funding over fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Hawaii News Now.

Girls’ locker rooms in governor’s budget, but advocates say more needs to be done.  Gov. David Ige unveiled a budget proposal Monday that includes $400 million over the next two years for school improvements, including the building of facilities for girls athletics. Hawaii News Now.

Ige takes 'cautious approach' with executive budget proposal. Gov. David Ige revealed his administration’s executive budget proposal for Fiscal Biennium 2019-21, which includes a total operating budget of $15.47 billion for financial year 2020 and $15.7 billion for financial year 2021. Pacific Business News.

Sylvia Luke Wants To Change The Way The State Spends Money. Agencies should have to justify every penny they ask for, says the House Finance Committee chair. Civil Beat.

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U.S. Senate introduced a bill to ensure future alerts are more effective. Senators unanimously passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement or READI Act. KITV.

A new report that looks at homelessness in America in 2017 underscores the progress Hawaii has made in the last two years, when the state’s overall homeless rate has consecutively dropped 9 percent. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii homeless rates among highest. A federal report released Monday said Hawaii has a higher number of homeless people per capita than any other state except New York. Garden Island.

Schatz wants pesticide banned near schools. The Prohibit Chlorpyrifos Poisoning Students Act would take Hawaii’s state ban to the national level, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Star-Advertiser.

Huge Barrier For Trapping Plastic Waste In The Pacific Isn’t Working. Changes are planned for the effort to sweep up the giant patch of trash between Hawaii and California. Associated Press.

Oahu

For the first time Monday, embattled city Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro responded to growing calls to step aside, saying that he was elected for four years and that his office is being run effectively. Hawaii News Now.

Drive to Impeach Honolulu Prosecutor Will Test City’s Vague Law. Keith Kaneshiro said Monday he had no plans to step aside after reportedly receiving a target letter from federal investigators. Civil Beat.

Pressure mounts on city's top prosecutor to step aside while he's under investigation. A probe to reexamine cases handled by the prosecutor's office is one some of the city's defense lawyers say they're on a mission to do. KITV.

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Doug Chin, former lieutenant governor and attorney general, joins downtown law firm. Star-Advertiser.

Major Donation Buoys Hopes for Relocating Waianae Homeless Village. A homeless community on Oahu’s leeward coast is one step closer to finding homes. The group received a $150,000 donation to help fund a plan to transition the residents of Pu'uhonua o Waianae to permanent housing. Hawaii Public Radio.

Queen’s sees results with innovative program that helps house medically-fragile homeless patients. Every month, up to 600 homeless people are admitted into the emergency room at the Queen’s Medical Center. Many of them are repeat patients. Hawaii News Now.

Dozens of rare Hawaiian snails were released into the wild after being born and raised at the Honolulu Zoo. KHON2.

Troon takes over golf course management at Hawaii's Turtle Bay Resort. Troon has taken over management of the two golf courses at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, including an 18-hole course designed by PGA legend Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, which is consistently ranked as one of the top courses in Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

SHOPO says Hawaii Island Police need body cameras, department agrees; though funding an issue. Hawaii Island Police remains the only department without.  KHON2.

No Aloha At These Rough And Tumble Neighborhood Meetings. Community associations around Hawaii County are charged with tasks such as maintaining roads in substandard subdivisions, and no one oversees them. Civil Beat.

Repairs to Honokaa gym floor underway but another delay possible. Years after flooring in the Honokaa Armory was damaged, repairs are underway, although the work could still face more delays. Tribune-Herald.

Released Hawaiian Crow Found Dead In Forest. The critically endangered Alala, one of only a handful recently released into the wild, was found under a tree root on December 6. Big Island Video News.

Premier Restoration Hawaii opened its first facility on the Big Island, an expansion that includes a planned investment of close to $500,000 in new equipment and human resources over the next three months. Pacific Business News.

Maui

You aren’t born a leader, says Lingle, you become one. Former governor charts her path to politics for nisei veterans series. Maui News.

Opportunity Zones, tax incentives could aid redevelopment. Maui County zones have been set up that offer tax incentives to encourage investments in those lower income areas as part of a federal program. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative gets permit renewed for water diversion. The State Board of Land and Natural Resources approved Monday a staff recommendation for the holdover of a revocable permit for water use at the Blue Hole diversion, allowing Kauai Island Utility Cooperative to continue to operate two hydroelectric facilities which contribute 1.5 megawatts of energy to the island’s renewable portfolio. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor-Elect Victorino Announces 13 More Appointments. Mayor-elect Mike Victorino announced today a new appointment as director for the county Department of Finance, 10 deputy directors, the new administration’s budget director and the director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. Maui Now.

No plans to fix Morgan Ponds. The seawall separating Morgan’s Ponds from the ocean at Lydgate Beach Park is still damaged, about eight months after debris from April floods put a hole in the rock wall. Garden Island.

The Kauai Medical Clinic in Kapaa got a lot bigger to be able to provide more primary care opportunities for residents in the Eastside, Monday. Garden Island.

Pearl Harbor anniversary commemorated, Hawaii Department of Education sued over Title IX female access to sports, Big Island beach reopens after lava flow, Patsy Mink statue unveiled, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

The USS Arizona burning after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, public domain photo

Hundreds to gather for 77th anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor. As they do every year, hundreds of veterans, service members and dignitaries will solemnly gather Friday to mark the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hawaii News Now.

Ceremonies mark 77th anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack. There will be a number of public events commemorating the date, including a ceremony at Barbers Point, which was also hit that day, and a parade through Waikiki. KHON2.

Pearl Harbor attack survivor remembers the day from afar. Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Don Long was alone on an anchored military seaplane in the middle of a bay across the island from Pearl Harbor when Japanese warplanes started striking Hawaii on December 7, 1941, watching from afar as the bombs and bullets killed and wounded thousands. Associated Press.

Pearl Harbor re-burials across the US give families closure. Some who died on Dec. 7, 1941, are finally being laid to rest in cemeteries across the United States. KITV.

Pouring of Blackened Canteen WWII relic helps heal U.S.-Japanese rifts. For 26 years a U.S canteen blackened and battered in the midair collision of two B-29 bombers in Japan during World War II — a symbol of the horror of war — has been an instrument of peace and reconciliation at Pearl Harbor. Star-Advertiser.

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ACLU files class action lawsuit against DOE, OIA for Title IX non-compliance. Campbell High is at the center of this lawsuit, but the accusations extend to public schools across the state, and go back decades. KITV.

'Unequal treatment’: Athletes file class action over lack of girls’ facilities, opportunities at Hawaii schools. Athletes at Campbell High have filed a federal class action lawsuit over a lack of girls' sports facilities and opportunities at Hawaii high schools. Hawaii News Now.

A federal class action lawsuit against the Hawaii Department of Education was filed Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii over gender inequities for female athletes at the state’s most populous high school. Civil Beat.

Class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Campbell High's female student-athletes. On Thursday, the ACLU of Hawaii filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of two female student-athletes attending James Campbell High School. KHON2.

With a lei-bedecked statue of Congresswoman Patsy Mink as a backdrop, civil rights attorneys announced Thursday they had filed a lawsuit seeking to end discrimination against female athletes in Hawaii’s public schools. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmaker says Legislature to blame for Title IX lawsuit. Changing in teachers closets, in plain view on the practice field, even at a nearby Burger King bathroom -  the ACLU of Hawaii says that's what female athletes at Campbell High School deal with daily. KHON2.

A major opportunity has opened in Hawaii for those hoping to work in the airline industry. The University of Hawaii is partnering with an aviation academy to create courses which will foster pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and aeronautical engineers. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Things Are Actually Looking Up At Honolulu Airport. Modernization of Daniel K. Inouye International has been years in coming. But real change is in the air. Civil Beat.

Patsy T. Mink Monument Dedicated On Her Birthday. A statue of Hawaii’s former Congresswoman Patsy Mink was dedicated today. Hawaii Public Radio.

Statue honors legacy of former Congresswoman in place close to her heart. The legacy of former U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink was honored Thursday at the Hawaii State Library, where a life-size bronze sculpture was dedicated. KHON2.

Kakaako condo Aeo ready for owners. By late January all 466 owners in the sold-out building are scheduled to take possession of their new homes, which cost $1 million on average. Star-Advertiser.

State removes eyesore from Maunalua Bay shoreline. Contractors moved concrete one shovel at a time Thursday in order to successfully remove a large eyesore that’s been parked on the Maunalua Bay shoreline. Hawaii News Now.

Kamehameha Schools and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands have executed the ground lease on three acres of land for the trust’s $10.9 million learning center on the Waianae Coast. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu home prices rise 3% but sales drop by double digits. Home prices on Oahu rose by about 3 percent last month, compared to November of last year, but the number of single-family homes and condominiums sold fell by more than 10 percent, according to statistics from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Hundreds turn out for reopening of Isaac Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki. The reopening of Isaac Hale Beach Park attracted hundreds of Puna residents eager to witness the creative side of the recent Kilauea eruption and return to a refuge many thought would be consumed by lava. Tribune-Herald.

Today, the gate at Isaac Hale Beach Park opened to the public for the first time since the eruption of Kilauea Volcano forced its closure. Big Island Video News.

Puna Park Cut Off By Lava Reopens, Attracting Hundreds. “They needed something to feel good about,” said Mayor Harry Kim of the locals who showed up in Pohoiki on Thursday. Civil Beat.

Months after lava swallowed Pohoiki, hundreds flock to reopening of Isaac Hale Beach Park. ‘It’s still beautiful... but it’s changed. It will be forever changed.’ Hawaii News Now.

Hundreds celebrate reopening of Hawaii island beach nearly lost to lava. KHON2.

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim today signed a Sixth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation, lifting a set of lava-related prohibitions but keeping others in place for the time being. Big Island Video News.

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Proposed water bottling plant raises concerns. The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission delayed the approval of a permit for a water bottling facility near Wailoa River State Recreation Area after a contentious meeting Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

The Department of Environmental Management has announced a public meeting to discuss the Lono Kona sewer project, which will connect 145 assessment units on 110 lots, the equivalent of 268 single-family homes, to sewer lines mauka of the Kuakini Highway McDonald’s in an area more popularly known as Hamburger Hill. West Hawaii Today.

Kona Community Hospital shuts down due to scabies outbreak. Hospital leadership made the decision to “temporarily close all patient units” as an “aggressive preventive measure to protect patients and staff from potential exposure to infection.” Star-Advertiser.

Maui

End of sugar farming may impact aquifer water yields. As planners chart out Maui island’s water use over the next 20 years, uncertainty hovers over the region with the largest population but the least groundwater resources. Maui News.

Two-story clubhouse plan for Waiehu to be unveiled. Public can see conceptual vision for municipal course at two events. Maui News.

Kauai

Gary Hooser an ‘Unsung Hero’. From grassroots organizing to state senator and majority leader, Gary Hooser has been advocating for Hawaii’s environment and people for years. Garden Island.

Portions of Waha Road in Kalaheo will be closed for reconstruction work, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from today to Dec. 10 or 11, weather pending. Garden Island.