Mayors seek own path: Hawaii Island opts out of pre-travel testing, maintains visitor quarantine; Kauai request for post-arrival COVID-19 test denied; 11k behind on their rent, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Big Island opts out of pre-travel testing program. Hawaii island Mayor Harry Kim said he is opting out of the state’s pre-travel testing program starting on Oct. 15, which means mainland visitors going to the Big Island still will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Star-Advertiser.

Ige denies county’s proposed second-test program. Gov. David Ige has declined the county’s plans for a 72-hour post-travel COVID-19 test, or two-test program, for incoming travelers to Kaua‘i. Garden Island.

Ige denies Kauai’s request to require second negative COVID-19 test for travelers. The governor has denied Kauai’s proposed pilot program that would require trans-Pacific travelers to get a second COVID-19 test after arrival. Hawaii News Now.

Ige denies Kauai’s second test pilot program for travelers. On Monday morning, Governor David Ige denied Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami’s Emergency Rule 18, which would have established a post-arrival testing program for all incoming travelers to Kauai. KHON2.

Gov. Ige shuts down Kauai mayor's proposal for post-travel testing. On Monday, Governor Ige denied Mayor Derek Kawakami's proposed Emergency Rule 18. The rule would require visitors to Kauai to test no sooner than 72-hours after arrival. KITV4.

As tourism’s relaunch nears, details of traveler testing program still being hammered out. Hawaii’s lieutenant governor dismissed calls from county leaders seeking stricter protocols before the state implements its pre-travel testing program next week, saying many of their concerns ― including those surrounding inter-island travel ― were “fear-based.” Hawaii News Now.

Ige talks end of interisland quarantine. Gov. David Ige said Monday that he and Hawaii’s four county mayors are working to end the 14-day quarantine for interisland travelers. Tribune-Herald.

New Hawaii Tourism Authority president discusses plans for tourism amid COVID-19 pandemic. The Hawaii Tourism Authority will be taking the lead when it comes to getting Hawaii’s tourism industry back on track, and its new president and CEO John De Fries will be at the center. KHON2.

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11,000 Hawaii families behind on rent, UHERO survey says. More than 11,000 households in Hawaii are behind on rent, roughly double the number before the pandemic. Star-Advertiser.

Survey: 9,000 households in Hawaii are 2 months behind in rent or more. A new survey indicates more than 9,000 households in the islands are two months or more behind in rent ― and thousands more are 30 days late. Hawaii News Now.

Report: Tenants and Landlords Alike Are Struggling. A new report from the University of Hawaii suggests Hawaii’s stock of rental housing may shrink as the economy languishes. Civil Beat.

UHERO rental housing survey shows more vacant units, rising rent delinquencies. Data shows Hawaii's rental vacancy rate more than doubled in August and the number of households that fell behind on rent nearly tripled. KITV4.

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Thousands Still Waiting Action On Unemployment Claims. The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations launched a call center to address an ongoing backlog of unemployment claims, but delays are pushing some residents to the brink of financial ruin. Hawaii Public Radio.

Cineworld to shutter eight Regal Cinemas in Hawaii as part of nationwide closure on Thursday. Oahu has four Regal movie theaters located at Pearl Highlands, Dole Cannery, Windward Mall and Kapolei Commons. On Maui, Regal has a theater at Maui Mall. On Hawaii island, Regal has theaters at Keauhou, Makalapua and Prince Kuhio Plaza. Star-Advertiser.

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Hawaii to receive $800K in federal money for vaccine distribution. Of the more than 170 vaccine candidates around the world, eight are in the final stage of human trials. KITV4.

Hawai‘i Set To Receive Nearly $800,000 To Plan For COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution. These federal funds will go to the Department of Health to develop vaccine distribution plans, determine where the vaccine will be administered, and ensure an adequate number of vaccination providers. Maui Now.

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Mauna Kea Divides Candidates In Hawaii Island OHA Race. The statewide contest pits Lindsey, an Office of Hawaiian Affairs employee, against Mangauil, a longtime critic of the agency. Civil Beat.

VIRUS TRACKER — Oct. 5: 52 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. There are approximately 2,202 active infections in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Mayor Kirk Caldwell suggests circumventing HART on alternate rail plan. Mayor Kirk Caldwell blasted the rail project’s undisclosed plans to build the final segment to Ala Moana, defended his fourth-quarter audible to withdraw the city’s support and, in the process, won the encouragement of several City Council members on Monday to help get the project on track in Caldwell’s final three months in office. Star-Advertiser.

Caldwell: ‘Phased’ Construction Of Rail If The Project Runs Out Of Cash. Generally, the Honolulu mayor suggested building the line into downtown and then resuming construction to Ala Moana Center once the funding becomes available. Civil Beat.

Mayor urges HART to pull the plug on private-public partnership process. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell urged the rail authority to pull out of the procurement negotiations for a public-private partnership for the final four miles of the project. Hawaii News Now.

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Kapolei Satellite City Hall worker tests positive for coronavirus. The worker, who is in self-quarantine, was last on the job on Saturday, according to a news release by the City & County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services. Star-Advertiser.

Coast Guard to Test Unmanned Surface Vehicles off Hawaiian Shores. The US Coast Guard Research and Development Center, in partnership with local CG units, will conduct tests and evaluation of unmanned surface vehicles off the south shore of O‘ahu from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5, 2020. Big Island Now.

Oahu median price for a single-family home hits record $880K, Locations says. Homes also sold faster in September — the average days on market for single-family homes was 11 days, a drop of 61% from the time it took to sell in September 2019, while condos took an average of 21 days to sell, which was down 22% from a year ago. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Faith-based college in Kona isolating student body after COVID outbreak. Students at a Christian college on Hawaii Island are being told to isolate due to a growing outbreak of COVID cases. The University of the Nations Kona says 22 students and eight staff members are now infected with the virus. Hawaii News Now.

University of the Nations confirms 30 COVID-19 cases; campuswide testing Tuesday. COVID-19 testing will be conducted this week on hundreds of staff and students at the University of the Nations Kona following an outbreak last week of the novel coronavirus. West Hawaii Today.

University of Nations Kona Provides Update on COVID-19 Cluster on Campus. There were no new cases on Sunday or Monday, October 4-5. However, due to a record discrepancy over the weekend, there were 22 active cases on campus and 8 active cases off-campus reported on Saturday, Oct. 3. Big Island Now.

Life Care Center getting help with outbreak. The state is assisting Life Care Center of Hilo with its recent COVID-19 outbreak, which Gov. David Ige described as “unfortunate.” Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County tries to contain two virus clusters. The Big Island has been seeing a jump in cases lately, but much of this increase is because of a couple of clusters.  KHON2.

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Second family files suit against Avalon Health Care for deadly COVID outbreak. Lawyers for the family of William Zerfuss say he was one of the first residents at the nursing facility to die from coronavirus complications. Hawaii News Now.

Family files lawsuit against operator of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home. The Honolulu law firm Davis Levin Livingston confirms on Oct. 5 it filed a claim on behalf of the family of Yukio Okutsu resident William J. Zerfuss alleging medical malpractice and negligence against the Avalon Health Care companies. KHON2.

A second family is suing Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home on Hawai'i Island. A second family of one of the veterans who died at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home on Hawaii Island is suing the company that used to manage it. KITV4.

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Inmates Allegedly Attack Corrections Officers In Dispute Over Social Distancing At Hilo Jail. Staff members were treated and released for injuries, and intend to press charges against the prisoners. Civil Beat.

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Hawaiian crows on Big Isle will be recaptured to ensure survival from predators. Captive-bred Native Hawaiian crows, or alala, that have successfully been released over the years into forests at Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve on Hawaii island as part of the ‘Alala Project will now be recaptured to ensure their survival, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Released ‘alala to be returned to breeding program. The coalition of conservation partners working to recover the ‘alala, also known as the Hawaiian crow, are looking to the future as they work to address recent challenges that have affected the population of the species living in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve on Hawaii Island. Tribune-Herald.

Conservationists Move to Protect ‘Alalā. The ‘alalā, or Hawaiian crow, has faced threats to its population living in the Pu’u Maka`ala Natural Area Reserve. Big Island Now.

Alala once again facing threats in the wild as biologists work to save species. Recent deaths of the near-extinct Hawaiian Crow are forcing conservationists to recapture the birds in the wild. Hawaii News Now.

State captures endangered Hawaiian crows to preserve the species. Researchers working to help the endangered Hawaiian crow, or alala, recover are changing their strategy. KHON2.

Maui

Maui mayor supports the idea of post-arrival testing. Mayor Victorino has ordered 20,000 rapid COVID-19 tests for the county but has only received a few from the state because of a strong need on the Big Island. KITV4.

Covid-19 Maui County Schedule Changes. The Kalana O Maui county building in Wailuku has reopened to the public, although the County Council chamber and council member offices will remain closed. Maui News.

Another set of Maui businesses, including movie theaters, set to reopen on Tuesday. Under guidelines that were approved by Gov. David Ige last week, movie theaters, bowling alleys and commercial event operators will be allowed to resume operations, with some restrictions. Hawaii News Now.

Maui Jail Begins COVID-19 Testing Today on Staff. The testing is part of a mass effort to conduct testing at all correctional facilities statewide after a COVID-19 outbreak at the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center first reported in August. Maui Now.

Viral videos spur sales success for Maui Babe. Locally made lotions in high demand after trend of backyard ‘quarantanning’ hits. Maui News.

Kauai

Meet the candidates: Addison Bulosan. Kaua‘i County Council candidate Dr. Addison Bulosan sits on a couch in his Specific Chiropractic Center office off Umi Street in Lihu‘e, more reserved than his online persona seen daily on Facebook Lives. Garden Island.

This Kauai Tour Guide Now Offers Quarantine Delivery Service. Even when the state reopens to tourism in mid-October, Maria “Coco Maria” Camero said she won’t be able to pick up where she left off with her successful tour guiding business. For now, she’s catering to the needs of quarantined residents and visitors. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Navy busy in South China Sea, vets irked over CBS tour of secret NSA facility, low-income housing turned over to private partnership, Maui council mulls Clean Water Act settlement, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS Preble at Pearl Harbor PC: U.S. Navy

Hawaii Navy ships step up operations in South China Sea. The Pearl Harbor destroyer USS Preble on Monday conducted its third “freedom of navigation” operation in the South China Sea since February in what so far has been four such Navy challenges to China’s claims this year. Star-Advertiser.

Bills On Ige’s Desk Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ For Criminal Justice Reform. Laws that cleared the Legislature would open up jails and courts to more scrutiny and give people a better chance at a get-out-of-jail-free card. Civil Beat.

Energy efficiency bill awaits Gov. David Ige’s signature. Hawaii legislators have passed a bill establishing energy efficiency standards for state appliances sold in the state. Star-Advertiser.

A partnership now owns about 1,000 mostly low-income apartments. About 1,000 mainly low-income Hawaii households have a new private landlord after a more than two-year effort by the state to shed a portfolio of affordable rental housing. Star-Advertiser.

Some Hawaii Public Housing Tenants Could Be Evicted Under Trump Proposal. The proposed rule would require HUD to check the immigration status of anyone under 62 who receives public assistance including housing. Civil Beat.

Hawaii ranked high in missing persons cases. Hawaii has the eighth highest rate of missing persons per capita in the nation. There are 8 cases for every 100,000 people who live here. KITV.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz hires new chief of staff. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has hired Eric Einhorn to serve as his new chief of staff in his Washington D.C. office, replacing Andy Winer. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Jury pool for the Kealoha trial narrowed down to fewer than 50 people. The final cut to 12 jurors and 4 alternates will happen Wednesday when attorneys exercise their right to eliminate jurors they are concerned about. Hawaii News Now.

Kunia veterans feel ignored, shocked after CBS News gets a tour of top secret NSA facility. CBS News got a rare view of NSA Hawaii in Wahiawa, which opened in 2012. It keeps an eye over America’s adversaries like China. Hawaii News Now.

Owners in one of Hawaii’s most exclusive condos sue over construction defects. There are at least 120 different construction defects at one of Hawaii’s most exclusive condominium towers, according to a lawsuit filed by property owners at the tower -- and a shortage in skilled building laborers may be at least partially to blame. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Assessors with a national accreditation organization gave the Hawaii Police Department a positive report with some suggestions during a mock assessment in April. West Hawaii Today.

Apparently, it’s not how the county spends the money, it’s how it raises the money. A public hearing on the 2019-20 budget drew little interest Monday, but 70% more property owners are appealing their assessments than last year. West Hawaii Today.

Waimea Nui Regional Government Proposal Sparks Discussion. On Monday, a Hawaiian Homes Commissioner went back and forth with a testifier who said she opposed the planned Waimea Nui Homestead Regional Government charter. Big Island Video News.

Time could be running out for the University of the Nations Kona to develop 62 acres once envisioned for affordable housing, a cultural center and an educational facility off Kuakini Highway. West Hawaii Today.

Coral submerged in the typically crowded Kahaluu Bay is amid a reprieve from human traffic, which began Monday morning and continues through today. The purpose of the county-imposed closure is to allow for a coral spawning event scientists predicted was most likely to occur on those two days. West Hawaii Today.

Kilauea could take a decade-plus break, expert says. While Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists are predicting Kilauea’s caldera could erupt “within a few years,” at least one independent expert suggests the volcano might not come to life for perhaps a decade if Hawaii’s undersea volcano, Loihi, is a guide. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Maui Lawmakers Consider Settlement in Clean Water Act Lawsuit. Members of the Maui County Council on Monday considered a settlement offer in the case of a county wastewater facility. The case is currently scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Hawaii Public Radio.

Iwi kupuna laws scrutinized by Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians gathered for two days on Maui to commemorate the 30th anniversary marking the discovery of 1,200 sets of remains at Honokahua Bay. Hawaii News Now.

County jobless rate at 2.8% in month of April. Hawaii was one of 12 states with unemployment below 3 percent. Maui News.

Twenty attorneys who provided free legal information and 10 court navigators who helped direct courthouse visitors were recognized for their volunteer service that assisted hundreds of people last year. Maui News.

Kauai

EMS stronger together. The mayor was joined by Kauai Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro with a similar proclamation as Kauai joined the nation in observing National EMS Week that started Sunday and runs through Friday. Garden Island.

Kauai vehicle sales hold steady. There are signs that the market is running out of steam, according to the outlook sponsored by the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association. Garden Island.

Hawaii tops in extended families, Hawaiian Airlines collects climate data, HART delays $18M rail contractor increase, new bus boss for Hawaii Island, big jump in air cargo, eco-friendly caskets, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Izu Oshima Island  dancers span generations © 2017 All Hawaii News

Why Hawaii Trends Toward Large And Extended Families. At 11 percent of households, the Aloha State has the highest proportion of multigenerational homes in the country, with Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (18 percent), and Asians (13 percent) being the two ethnic groups with the largest proportions of multigenerational households. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian first U.S. airline on board for daily air quality monitoring. Hawaiian Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to begin daily air quality monitoring of one of the biggest and cleanest regions of the planet: an area from China to New Zealand to Seattle. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines taking part in climate change research. As of last month, a specially equipped plane has been collecting air samples using a climate monitoring device that's attached to the exterior of the aircraft. KITV.

The air cargo industry in Hawaii had 852 employees in 2016, experiencing 978.5% growth in employment over 15 years, between 2001 and 2016. Maui Now.

Disruptive Hawaii flight passenger sentenced to time served. A Turkish man who said a hallucination about a butterfly caused him to disrupt a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu won’t receive additional jail time under terms of his sentence handed down Monday. Associated Press.

Unruly airline passenger sentenced to 6 months in prison, $8,525 in restitution. Pacific Business News.

Delta's Atlanta to Honolulu flight gets upgrade starting next April. Delta's domestic upgrades to Delta One are coming next April, but only one roundtrip will impact the airline's hub in Atlanta. Pacific Business News.

Get Island Air refunds quickly, state warns. The executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection urges Hawaii consumers who purchased Island Air tickets to seek refunds from their credit or debit card providers. Star-Advertiser.

First observed interstellar object to pass by Earth is given Hawaiian name. After consulting with UH-Hilo Hawaiian language experts Ka‘iu Kimura and Larry Kimura, the UH team named the interstellar visitor Oumuamua, which means leader or scout. Star-Advertiser.

State urges extra mumps vaccine dose as cases rise. As of Friday the Health Department said the number has spiked to 575 confirmed cases so far this year. Star-Advertiser.

Alexander &Baldwin Inc. will pay its shareholders $783 million mostly in the form of new stock as part of converting to a real estate investment trust, or REIT. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

HART board delays $18M increase for rail contractor. The board overseeing Honolulu’s rail project rejected a request by rail staff to increase a key engineering contract by nearly $18 million, with several board members saying they didn’t have enough information to approve the sizable request. Star-Advertiser.

Waipahu sees single-family homes sales jump; condo prices rise across Oahu. Sales of single-family homes in Waipahu more than doubled in October, as the median price in the Central Oahu neighborhood rose 11 percent, while the five areas with the highest number of condominium sales all saw median prices rise last month, according to statistics from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Oahu solar permits declined 16% in October. In October, the city Department of Planning and Permitting issued 307 permits for solar electric systems, down from 367 in the same month last year, a drop of 16 percent. Star-Advertiser.

UH Manoa’s College of Education Names New Dean. Nathan Murata beat out two other finalists for the job of leading the College of Education. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa on Monday named Nathan Murata its new dean of the College of Education, effective Jan. 1. Pacific Business News.

Amid an escalating dispute with some neighbors in Manoa, a former Kauai police detective gets a temporary restraining order filed against him and his rifle taken away. Hawaii News Now.

Family of Marine fatally stabbed in Waikiki wants suspect charged as adult. The teen accused of killing a Marine in Waikiki in October is set to appear in court Tuesday — the day his victim would've celebrated his 24th birthday.  Hawaii News Now.

Can These Eco-Friendly Caskets Find A Niche In $20 Billion Industry? A Waimanalo company is trying to serve the growing market for people wanting greener burial options. Civil Beat.

The fishing vessel that ran aground just off pristine Waikiki beaches more than a month ago is being prepared for removal, possibly by the end of the week. Associated Press.

Hawaii Island

Caltrans planner to take over Hele-On system. Maria Aranguiz, chief of systems planning and forecasting for the California Department of Transportation, will begin as the county Mass Transit Agency administrator on Feb. 16, county Managing Director Wil Okabe said Monday. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island’s mass transit system is carrying a fraction of the passengers compared to a few years ago with a fleet in disrepair, auto and money theft incidents, costly contractors filling gaps, and a past-due multimillion-dollar baseyard project. KHON2.

Charter school using $1 million grant to expand hours, reach academic goals. Ka Umeke Kaeo was the only Hawaii school to receive the School Improvement Grant this year, a federal grant designed to support Title 1 schools that “demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to use them to substantially raise the achievement of students,” according to a state Department of Education news release. Tribune-Herald.

Univ. of Nations CFO could face another offense. Pablo Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on May 15. West Hawaii Today.

WHT reporter to be celebrated Dec. 9 for work cracking pCard case. The Big Island Press Club will celebrate Nancy Cook Lauer as the club’s 2017 Torch of Light winner during its annual Christmas Luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Hilo Bay Café. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Hale Makua Health Services Hires New Kahului Administrator. Teana Kahoʻohanohano has been hired as Administrator of Hale Makua Kahului, Maui’s largest skilled and intermediate nursing home, rehab center and adult day health center. Kahoʻohanohano has over 10 years of experience as a licensed Administrator in California and Hawaii. Maui Now.

Kihei Community Association to meet. Council Planning Committee Chairwoman Kelly King and Maui Tomorrow Foundation President Lucienne de Naie will speak Tuesday night at the Kihei Community Association general membership meeting at Kihei Charter Middle School. Maui News.

Costco’s solar project, like most of its products, is big. Costco Wholesale has begun construction of carport-style support structures for the eventual installation of solar panels in the store’s Kahului parking lot off of Haleakala Highway. Maui News.

Hokulea Stops in Hana for 9th Annual Limu Festival. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaui Police Department Assistant Chief Roy Asher placed on unpaid leave until an internal investigation is complete. Garden Island.

Test of new signal scheduled Dec. 1. A wailing tone that advises everyone to take immediate shelter, the “attack warning” tone will be added to the monthly test. Garden Island.

Defending Hawaii against missiles, Honolulu rail school impact fee fails, Omidyar-backed Kauai dairy pauses EIS, felons to remain in jail, 'Styrofoam' ban advances on Big Island, biofuel crops planned for Maui, state Capitol crumbling, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pacific Missile Range, Kauai © 2017 All Hawaii News

At the request of Congress, the federal Missile Defense Agency is evaluating the threat to Hawaii from ballistic missiles and possible defenses against them. Civil Beat.

A bill that would have authorized the head of the state Department of Public Safety to release some convicted felons to ease overcrowding in state-run jails appears to be dead for the session. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Count On Hawaii To Ignore Logical Prison Report. In the rush to build a new prison, the Legislature is likely to shunt aside the work of a task force it created just last year. Civil Beat.

A state agency hopes to sell carbon offset credits linked to reforestation. Star-Advertiser.

Representatives from Hawai’i’s hospitality industry converged on the State Capitol today to brief lawmakers on their legislative priorities. Hawaii Public Radio.

High-schoolers are some of the loudest champions of a bill seeking to ban the use of disposable foam containers. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Lawmaker Accepted Junket From Turkish Opposition Group. Sen. J. Kalani English is among 151 state legislators nationwide whose official travel has been tied to exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corp. has donated $790,000 to establish the HCRC Distinguished Professorship in Affordable Housing at the University of Hawaii to teach the next generation about affordable housing strategies and develop policy alternatives. Pacific Business News.

State officials believe falling exterior ceiling tiles at the Hawaii State Capitol are the result of strong winds on Monday and this past weekend. Civil Beat.

Matson Inc. delivered more containers and automobiles to Hawaii in 2016, but the largest ocean cargo company serving the state had rough sailing in other areas, which resulted in a 22 percent profit decline last year. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The state school board for a second time has rejected an impact fee the Department of Education contends it needs to accommodate the estimated 10,000 students expected to enroll in urban Honolulu schools as developments pop up along the city’s rail line. Star-Advertiser.

A plan to charge developers along the rail line hundreds of millions of dollars in school impact fees has stalled. Hawaii News Now.

State lawmakers say they’re unlikely to get the briefing they want from the city rail system’s federal partners before they must decide what to do about Oahu’s cash-strapped transit project. Star-Advertiser.

While Honolulu may be the eighth-most traffic-congested city in the U.S., Oahu residents can take some solace in the fact that the problem isn't getting any worse, according to data from the 2017 TomTom Traffic Index. Pacific Business News.

A new bill before the Honolulu City Council would expand the city’s law banning people from sitting and lying down on certain public sidewalks to parts of Kalihi and Iwilei. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of Airbnb listings in Honolulu are raking in six figures in annual revenue, according to a monthly market report by Airdna, the analytics arm of the online vacation rental platform, which ranked the top 10 highest-performing vacation listings for all accommodation sizes. Pacific Business News.

The state Public Utilities Commission is holding a hearing tonight about Hawaiian Electric Co.’s request to increase rates. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Biotech Inc. moved into its new research and development laboratory and headquarters at Dole Cannery in Honolulu on Tuesday, with staff hopeful the new 11,000 square foot space will facilitate greater efficiency as well as provide the company with access to much-needed emergency power. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Biotech Inc. opened a $3 million laboratory at Dole Cannery this week to continue its research of vaccines that can combat viruses such as Zika, West Nile and Ebola. Star-Advertiser.

The man who breached airport security in Honolulu and later died was court-ordered to be at a drug rehabilitation center just a week and a half before the incident. KHON2.

Hawaii

Foam food containers were back on the table Tuesday, when the County Council Environmental Management Committee on a 5-3 vote advanced a bill restricting those made of polystyrene. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County Council Committee on Environmental Management gave a positive recommendation to a bill that would reduce the use of Styrofoam food containers on Hawaii Island. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii County will not pay any penalties for terminating its composting and mulching contract, according to Mayor Harry Kim. Tribune-Herald.

The chief financial officer of Youth With a Mission’s University of the Nations in Kona stole $2.5 million from the international Christian school, owns a gold mine in Africa and kept loose diamonds in a safe deposit box, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Public scoping meetings for Alexander & Baldwin’s application to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources for a 30-year lease (holdover water permits) for water from streams in Nahiku, Keanae and Huelo are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 22 and 23, at two different locations on Maui. Maui Now.

Biofuel crops, including sunflowers, will be grown on 115 acres in Maui’s central valley as part of a demonstration project this month, according to an announcement from Pacific Biodiesel. Maui News.

The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas has named Chris Rabang as general manager ahead of the time-share resort’s April opening. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

Hawaii Dairy Farms, the planned dairy operation on Kauai being funded by Pierre Omidyar’s social investment firm Ulupono Initiative, has withdrawn the project’s final environmental impact statement to expand responses to comments submitted during the process. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Dairy Farms took a step back in its plan to put a dairy on Kauai by withdrawing its Final Environmental Impact Statement from state consideration on Tuesday. Garden Island.

Hundreds on Kauai may have faulty solar parts. Garden Island.

A hearing is scheduled March 22 for Kauai Community College’s proposal to reclassify 148.5 acres of land from agricultural to urban usage. Garden Island.

Misuse of funds, poor record keeping, and violations of state animal euthanasia laws are just some of the findings of a recent audit of the Kauai Humane Society. Hawaii News Now.

A man accused of beating up a monk seal last year is expected to change his plea today. Garden Island.

Representatives of the Kauai Beer Company are proposing a private-public partnership to renovate Kalena Park. Garden Island.