COVID-19 cases edge up as 'vaccine passport' mulled for Hawaii, maskless protesters crowd Oahu park, 17-year-olds may get the vote, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii sunset ©2021 All Hawaii News

Slight COVID rise follows increase in travel, easing of rules. The new counts on Sunday brought the state’s average case count over the past seven days to 70, for a 1.4% positivity rate. Star-Advertiser.

A Hawaii ‘Vaccine Passport’ Could Open Door To Weddings, Concerts And More Tourism. Lt. Gov. Josh Green says Hawaii’s vaccine document may be complete by mid-May, and the state’s passport partner promised an announcement this week. Civil Beat.

An uptick in visitors: Survey finds 44% of those arriving have been vaccinated. There has been an uptick in trans-Pacific travel to the islands in March, likely fueled by a combination of spring break visitors and COVID-19 vaccinations. Tribune-Herald.

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University of Hawaii could lose control over decisions on construction, renovation and backlogged repairs across 10-campus system. The University of Hawaii could lose control over decisions on construction, renovation and backlogged repairs across the 10-campus system if the Legislature fails to extend authorization for the UH president to continue acting as its chief procurement officer.  Star-Advertiser.

Bills would allow 17-year-olds in Hawaii to vote in elections. Senate Bill 550 and 551, introduced by Sen. Les Ihara Jr. (D, Moiliili-Kaimuki-­Palolo), would make constitutional amendments that would allow 17-year-olds in to vote in the primary election only if that person’s 18th birthday falls between next year’s primary election on Aug. 13 and general election on Nov. 8. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers work to weed out ‘gentlemen’s farms’. A state effort to stop residential use of agricultural land with little or no farming has gained strong momentum in the Legislature this year. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii cuts welfare payments for ‘poorest of the poor’. Hawaii’s Department of Human Services began slashing welfare payments to thousands of the state’s most vulnerable this month as emergency reserve funds ran dry amid increasing demand for aid. Star-Advertiser.

Public meeting bill draws concerns. A Senate bill that would give boards the option — in conjunction with in-person meetings — to use videoconferencing for public meetings under the state’s Sunshine Law, without a declared emergency, cleared its first House hurdle. Tribune-Herald.

Rep. Kai Kahele Wants New Missile Defense Radar System On Kauai — Not Oahu. The military is weighing putting a $1.9 billion defense radar on Oahu or Kauai after Hawaii’s congressional delegation thwarted a Pentagon attempt to defund the project last year. Civil Beat.

Match Day Sees Increased Competition, Limited Slots for Soon-To-Be Doctors. It’s Match Day madness at medical schools across the country today as med school seniors find out if – and where – they’ll train to become full-fledged doctors. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now.

The Pandemic Has Driven Down Hawaii’s Rate Of Childhood Lead Testing. Lead poisoning can have dire consequences for children, which makes detection in the early stages crucial. Civil Beat.

Analysis: Hawaii, other states with slow vaccine rollout perform better than those that sped up process. A surprising new analysis found that states such as South Carolina and Florida that raced ahead of others to offer the vaccine to ever-larger groups of people have vaccinated smaller shares of their population than those that moved more slowly and methodically, such as Hawaii and Connecticut. Hawaii News Now.

Former state Health Director Bruce Anderson still considers Hawaii home. Former state Health Director Bruce Anderson is a long way from home — nearly 5,000 miles away, to be exact. Star-Advertiser.

March 21, 2021 COVID-19 Update: The state Department of Health reports that there were 81 additional COVID-19 cases reported in Hawai‘i on Sunday, including 42 on O‘ahu, 24 on Maui, five on Hawai‘i Island, one on Moloka‘i, and nine in Hawai‘i residents diagnosed out of state. Maui Now.

Oahu

Honolulu Council Hopes Federal Relief Can Reverse Cuts In Blangiardi Budget. The American Rescue Plan funds can be used for a broader spectrum of purposes than the earlier federal stimulus and could make up for revenue the city lost because of the pandemic. Civil Beat.

Despite legislative setback, advocates will continue push to rename an Oahu high school. The racial unrest across the country this past summer has fueled the movement to rename schools honoring historical figures with racist or discriminatory legacies. Hawaii News Now.

Crime rates in Waikiki have plummeted and police and visitor industry leaders want to keep it that way. Fewer people in Waikiki during the pandemic-related drop in travel and government lockdowns caused a dramatic decline in most crimes in 2020, with thefts, robberies and sex assaults down more than half and other assaults dropping by more than 40%. Star-Advertiser.

Rally over COVID rules draws large crowd, strong HPD response to Kapiolani Park. Two people were arrested and two others cited in Waikiki for violating emergency rules Saturday following a large rally at Kapiolani Park. The rally, organized by the Aloha Freedom Coalition, drew hundreds of people to the park to protest the use of masks among other COVID restrictions. Hawaii News Now.

City opening parks to outdoor youth team sports draws excitement. In about three weeks, many empty fields will soon be filled with kids playing organized sports for the first time in nearly a year. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Future uncertain for CDP committees, Kailua Village Design Commission. The county has called a halt to filling citizen boards that advise the government on planning and design because the administration said it wants to take a hard look at how the boards can best be used. West Hawaii Today.

Kona coffee labeling settlements top $13M. Kona coffee farmers will soon be eligible to receive a share of millions of dollars thanks to proposed settlements in a 2019 class action lawsuit against retailers that falsely labeled commodity coffee beans as premium “Kona” coffee. West Hawaii Today.

Veterans home accepting residents for first time since outbreak. Admissions to Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home — halted last year due to a devastating outbreak of COVID-19 within the facility — recently have resumed. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Mayor mulls restrictions for COVID-19 cluster areas. County has seen nearly 40 new cases two days in a row. Maui News. Maui Now.

Maui Group Joins Rally Seeking Freedoms Amid Coronavirus Restrictions. Maui participants in a “Worldwide Rally for Freedom” held signs on Saturday afternoon fronting the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului. Maui Now.

Council OKs $9.8M purchase of Maui News buildings. Some say move could save county rent, others worry about spending in pandemic. Maui News.

Kauai

Kaua‘i County budget starts at $243M. Mayor Derek Kawakami and his administration proposed a $243 million operating budget and $24.3 million capital improvement projects budget last week that proposes no layoffs or furloughs for county employees and no tax raises for residents. Garden Island.

Median cost of Kaua‘i home nearly $1M. Milo Spindt, a broker-in-charge and in property management at Elite Pacific, said the median sales price for a residential home on Kaua‘i was $975,000 in February, compared to $802,500 the same month last year, an increase of 21.5%. Garden Island.

In Hawaii, agricultural land doesn't translate to food, Legislature seeks to trim governor's emergency powers, state pension fund up 15%, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii farmers market pre-COVID ©2021 All Hawaii News

Hawaii Has A Lot Of Agricultural Land. Very Little Of It Is Used For Growing Food. The amount of land used for farming in Hawaii has shrunk dramatically since the 1930s. Civil Beat.

These 2 Companies Are Putting Big Money Into Hawaii’s Agricultural Future. Will Their Bets Pay Off?. A pair of companies backed by a billionaire and a pension fund are trying to revitalize fallow farmland in the state. Civil Beat.

Embattled Agribusiness Corporation Has Powerful Friends. With the future of a state agency in charge of transforming Hawaii’s old plantation lands into working farms in the balance, battle lines formed Friday between Gov. David Ige’s administration and big agricultural organizations on one side and lawmakers who say the agency has failed in its mission and should be dissolved on the other. Civil Beat.

Report: Family-Owned Farms Account for 93% of Hawaiʻi Farms. The US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its 2017 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report on Jan. 22, 2021, classifying Hawaiʻi’s farms to better evaluate the state’s agriculture. Garden Island.

State to rule on protecting prime farmland on Oahu. The state Land Use Commission is preparing to hold public hearings starting Feb. 24 to carry out its responsibility under a 2005 state law aiming to protect high-value farmland statewide by essentially locking up such land for agricultural use in perpetuity. Star-Advertiser.

Sharing emergency powers: House bill would temper governor’s power. A bill moving through the state House would try to balance the almost unilateral power granted the executive branch — governor and island mayors — during declared emergencies to allow legislative input into the duration and specific powers wielded. West Hawaii Today.

It’s No Surprise That CEOs Make More Than Other Employees. But How Much Is Too Much? New legislation would make Hawaii the first state to tax executive pay gaps, but the proposal may be dead on arrival. Civil Beat.

Air tour noise bill shelved despite support from Case, others. A bill that aims to address tour helicopter noise and safety was deferred Thursday by the state Senate Transportation Committee. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii lawmakers scrap bill exempting counties from Sunshine Law. State lawmakers shelved a bill that would allow the county councils on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island to debate in secret before casting votes on proposed legislation. Star-Advertiser.

State pension fund up 15%. Fueled by a 9% investment increase in the October-December quarter, the state Employees’ Retirement System fund reached the midpoint of its 2021 fiscal year with a 14.8% gain, according to a new report presented to ERS trustees by investment adviser Meketa Investment Group. Star-Advertiser.

Pandemic Turbo-Charges Hawaii State Government's Use Of Tech. Across Hawaii's state government, the need to prevent the spread of disease has similarly turbo-charged the use of technology. It's a big change for an acknowledged tech laggard. Associated Press.

90,000 people applied for the ‘Movers and Shakas’ program; first 50 selected. The first group of professionals have been chosen for a controversial program that would bring people from across the nation to Hawaii to work remotely. Hawaii News Now.

State building remote-work force. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations through the Workforce Development Council, along with Hawai‘i’s four county Workforce Development Boards, announced Remote Ready Hawai‘i’, a remote-work project powered by MadSkills, dba, Instant Teams. Garden Island.

HIEMA Director Ken Hara wants DOH guidance before allowing vaccine travel exemption. Major General Hara is eyeing March 1st to launch the first phase with critical infrastructure workers and expand the program in one-month increments. Governor David Ige is allowing fully-vaccinated people to bypass Hawaii's 10-day travel quarantine without negative COVID-19 test results -- starting with critical infrastructure workers doing intercounty travel. KITV4.

Hawaii setting up "Health Pass" system to verify a person's COVID-19 test results, vaccinations. The state is setting up a "Health Pass" system that uses technology to verify your negative COVID-19 test results and vaccination doses, so you can travel and keep your information private. KITV4.

HAWAII VIRUS TRACKER — Feb. 14: 48 New COVID-19 Cases And 1 Death. The cases included 38 on Oahu, four on Maui, three on the Big Island and three residents diagnosed out of state. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Hawaii Extends Driver's License Renewal Deadline To April. City officials in Honolulu have extended the deadline to renew driver's licenses, state identification cards and permits to mid-April in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Associated Press.

$12 million plan for a luxury ‘fixed-base operation’ and fuel farm at Kalaeloa Airport questioned. A mainland aircraft services partnership with deep pockets plans to spend $12 million for a luxury “fixed-base operation” and fuel farm at Kalaeloa Airport that is many times larger than the locally run operation that’s there now. Star-Advertiser.

Department of Transportation moved by pedestrian deaths to install speed tables on Farrington Highway. Area lawmakers are applauding the state Department of Transportation for installing two new raised crosswalks on Farrington Highway at the entrance of Nanakuli to increase pedestrian safety. Star-Advertiser.

Condo Complex’s Plan To Uproot Trees Has Residents Worried About Kaneohe Bay. The plan is really about clearing views for residents, according to a former Puu Alii board member. Civil Beat.

What’s open and closed in Honolulu on Presidents Day. The City and County of Honolulu offices will be closed in observance of Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 15. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Bridging the digital divide: Kimball promotes broadband infrastructure. A resolution urging the county get on the broadband-wagon will be considered Wednesday by the County Council as the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates to state and local officials how important digital connectivity is when face-to-face just isn’t possible. West Hawaii Today.

Funding for lifeguards at Hapuna and Kua Bay in peril. Time is ticking to secure a funding source for lifeguard services at two popular but perilous state beach parks in West Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County, State Sign New COVID Emergency Proclamations. Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth signed a Sixth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation on Friday, as Governer David Ige signed his 18th emergency proclamation for COVID-19. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui attorneys confirmed as 2nd Circuit judges. Chris Dunn, Jim Rouse to serve six-year terms. Maui News.

New reservations system starts March 1 at Waianapanapa State Park in Hana. All visitors and commercial operators will need to make reservations to enter the park, with out-of-state visitors paying $10 for parking; walk-in, bike-in or drop-off entry costing $5 per person; and commercial vehicles charged $25 for one to seven passengers and $50 for eight to 25 passengers. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Food distribution doesn’t skip a beat.  North Shore Food Pantry board member Elena Stipanovic said the group had to get 15 cases of diapers for the food distribution held Saturday at the Anaina Hou Community Park. Garden Island.

Farms and farmers may get government help, doctor shortage looms, residents buy sex online, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii farmers market ©2018 All Hawaii News

More than 45,000 acres on Oahu should be designated as important agricultural lands and required to stay that way in perpetuity under a new plan submitted by Mayor Kirk Caldwell to the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmakers seek federal aid to help local farmers in wake of natural disasters. Hawaii’s congressional delegation is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide financial assistance to Hawaii farmers affected by the Kilauea Volcano eruption on Hawaii island, flooding from heavy rains in April and Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lane last month. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Congressional Delegation is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide direct assistance to Hawaii farmers affected by recent natural disasters. Big Island Video News.

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Hawaii facing doctor shortage. Hawaii lost 51 full-time doctors from 2017 to 2018, the first loss since 2014 when 92 left the workforce, according to the latest physician workforce survey by the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s Mental Health Care Crisis. The lack of psychiatrists is a particular problem for people who rely on the state’s public health insurance for low-income residents. Civil Beat.

Hawaii residents dominate in buying sex online, study says. A new study that shines a light on a hidden corner of Hawaii’s illicit sex trade estimates that 1 in 11 adult males here buys sex online. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Transportation says pedestrian fatalities have increased by 84 percent from the same time last year. Associated Press.

The state’s film industry is on pace for a record year. Film and television production in Hawaii could generate in excess of $400 million this year, topping the record mark set in 2010. Star-Advertiser.

UH Wants $600 Million In 2019 To Modernize Its Crumbling Campuses. And that’s just the beginning. The university has a six-year, $1.6 billion plan in the works. Civil Beat.

St. Francis Medical Center Tries To Stop $80M Settlement For Abuse Victims. The center employed the psychiatrist accused of sexually abusing dozens of students at Kamehameha Schools, which reached the settlement with victims. Civil Beat.

Are Hawaii Residents Experiencing Disaster Fatigue? It has been a stressful year for residents of Hawaii. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiian Airlines announced late Thursday night that it will be the only carrier to offer nonstop flights between Honolulu and Boston when it begins the service in April. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The board of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is nearing a pivotal decision on whether to solicit new partners in the development, operation and maintenance of the city’s 20-mile rail line, a proposal that could eventually involve billions of taxpayer dollars. Star-Advertiser.

The owner of Hawaiian Memorial Park has filed a new draft environmental impact study in a bid to add 30,000 more burial sites to the Kaneohe cemetery nearly a decade after a similar effort was rejected by a state commission. Star-Advertiser.

Estate formerly owned by King Kamehameha III up for auction. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom house sits on two acres of land off Nuuanu Pali Drive. KHON2.

UH Manoa gets $1M for microbe research in Waimea Valley. With $1 million from the W.M. Keck Foundation, which funds pioneering research, the UH faculty members will map the microbial communities that underpin the valley’s varied ecosystems and explore how they function. Star-Advertiser.

University of Hawaii Manoa professor H. Annamalai is leading a project to improve weather forecasts for US-affiliated Pacific Islands like the state of Hawaii. Maui Now.

Hundreds of volunteers helped Malama the Aina at a cleanup Sunday morning at Ala Moana Beach Park. Volunteers removed trash, plastics, and other debris from the beach and park areas and enjoyed music, snacks, and giveaways.  KITV.

Launch of Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. celebrated by adoring fans in Waikiki. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

The National Park Service has produced a new map prior to the reopening of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on National Public Lands Day on September 22. Big Island Video News.

With Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on track to reopen later this month, Volcano businesses are cautiously optimistic about a return to pre-eruption visitors. Tribune-Herald.

The recent purchase of the “Great Crack Property” in Ka'u by the National Park Service concludes a plan 50 years in the making. Tribune-Herald.

Some vacation rental condos, by a quirk of zoning, are being swept up into a vacation rental bill while those just across Alii Drive are not, an issue that has a crowd ready to speak out at the Leeward Planning Commission meeting. West Hawaii Today.

Roadblocks to relicensing push some drivers to illegal behavior. A bureaucratic barrier, a lack of adequate state statutes and the sluggish pace at which county Departments of Motor Vehicles process road tests have created a glitch in the driver’s re-licensing process that’s incentivizing thousands of Hawaii residents to break the law every year. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County will float a $109 million general obligation bond to refund outstanding bonds and loans and to refund the county general fund about $45 million for money already spent on new projects, according to an announcement. Maui News.

Mayor Alan Arakawa announced that three major bond rating agencies awarded Maui County the highest bond ratings in the state last week. Maui Now.

The state Campaign Spending Commission levied a $2,700 fine Wednesday on Maui County Council Member Alika Atay, his campaign and its treasurer for violating Hawaii campaign finance laws, commission General Counsel Gary Kam reported. Maui News.

One in 10 Maui County residents lives below the poverty line, which is lower than the national poverty rate of 12.3 percent for 2017, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Maui News.

Kauai

Controversial sister city? Last Monday, Sara Duterte, the mayor of Davao, a city on Mindanao Island in the Philippines, was on Kauai signing a sister-city partnership with Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. She’s the daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration has been criticized by Amnesty International and other groups for committing multiple human rights violations. Garden Island.

Shearwaters in the skies. Lights will go on this week for Friday night football on Kauai, marking the season’s first football game within the endangered Newell’s shearwater fledgling season. Garden Island.