Trump strongholds in Hawaii: A comparison of votes by precinct in 2020 and 2016

 

Honolulu city hall shuts down amid COVID-19 outbreak, Caldwell tests negative, HGEA files grievance against Health Department over contact tracers, labor director resigns, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Hale city hall ©2020 All Hawaii News

Honolulu Hale Shuts Down Amid COVID-19 Outbreak. Mayor Kirk Caldwell is among more than 1,000 city employees being tested for the disease after a cluster surfaced. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Hale closed, satellite city halls on limited service. Honolulu Hale is shutting down to the public due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases there, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Caldwell tests negative for COVID-19 after cases spread at Honolulu Hale. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell was tested for COVID-19 on Monday after a positive case in his office, and many more at Honolulu Hale. By Monday night, his result came back negative. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s COVID-19 test result is negative. There was mass testing at Honolulu Hale after 10 employees had positive COVID-19 test results. KHON2.

Mayor Caldwell tests negative for COVID-19. Mayor Kirk Caldwell received a negative test result for COVID-19 on Monday night. KITV4.

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Experts: COVID-19 is spreading in Hawaii at a faster rate than anywhere else in the nation. Hawaii is regularly seeing triple-digit increases in COVID-19 infections, a situation that underscores just how fast the virus is spreading in Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s coronavirus crisis worsens with 140 cases, 3 deaths and more closures. Hawaii’s coronavirus crisis continued to mount Monday as Honolulu’s City Hall was shut down, the University of Hawaii football season was postponed at least for the fall and three more people died from COVID-19. Star-Advertiser.

The Latest: 140 Cases; Mayor Isolates, Honolulu Hale To Close; 6 OCCC Inmates, 3 ACOs Positive. Hawaii Public Radio.

VIRUS TRACKER — Aug. 10: 3 Deaths And 140 Cases; Clusters At Honolulu Hale And Oahu Jail. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is being tested for the coronavirus after a staffer in his office tested positive. Civil Beat.

DOH Reports 140 New COVID-19 Cases Statewide. The Hawai‘i Department of Health on Monday reported 140 news cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 3,638 cases since testing began in late February. Big Island Now.

Military and their family account for 7% of Hawaii’s COVID-19 cases. In the first acknowledgement of its kind, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said military members and their families in Hawaii represent approximately 7% of the total COVID-19 cases for the state — meaning about 204 as of Thursday’s statewide count of 2,914 since the start of the outbreak. Star-Advertiser.

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‘Out of control': Union grievance filed against DOH as criticism of pandemic response builds. The union that represents state contact tracers has filed an official grievance against Health Department management, saying top government health officials have lied to the public how many tracers are actually on the job. Hawaii News Now.

HGEA grievance cites just 15 contact tracers on Oahu, where COVID-19 cases are surging. The Hawaii Government Employees Association has filed a grievance against the state Department of Health alleging that there are only 15 epidemiological specialists on Oahu and three on the neighbor islands to perform contact tracing for thousands of potential COVID-19 cases. Star-Advertiser.

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Hawaii governor appoints new directors as labor head resigns. Democratic Gov. David Ige said Monday he appointed a new interim director of the state Department of Taxation and an acting director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Associated Press.

Labor Director Resigns, Former Lawmaker To Head Tax Department. Gov. David Ige announced new cabinet members Monday. Civil Beat.

Head of State Labor Department Resigns After Two Months on Leave. The state director charged with overseeing jobless benefits for Hawai‘i residents has resigned after months of being on leave amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Big Island Now.

Scott Murakami resigns as head of Hawaii Labor Department after 2 months on leave. Scott Murakami, the director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, resigned his post on Wednesday, Gov. David Ige said today. Star-Advertiser.

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University of Hawaii community asked to shift coursework online as much as possible. The University of Hawaii, which already planned for mostly online instruction this fall, asked faculty and students today to reduce in-person coursework as much as possible given the rise in COVID-19 cases. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Corrections Workers Fear Infection As COVID-19 Outbreak Grows. With six inmates and three staff already testing positive, OCCC staff worry the prison system is unprepared to control the virus. Civil Beat.

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Hawaii’s inter-island travel quarantine will be reinstated on Tuesday amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. But the rules are a little different this time. For one, travel to Oahu is not restricted. But if you’re flying to any other island, you’ll need to quarantine for 14 days after arrival. Hawaii News Now.

Reminder: partial interisland travel quarantine goes into effect Aug 11. Due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state, Governor David Ige has instituted a partial interisland quarantine which goes into effect Tuesday, Aug 11. KHON2.

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State launches Buy Hawaii website to promote local products. The state has launched Buy Hawaii, Give Aloha. KHON2.

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Record primary election sees 99% of votes cast by mail-in ballots. In Hawaii’s largest effort at mail-in ballots, island voters overwhelmingly made their preference known last week, while potentially delivering a death sentence for the time-honored tradition of in-person voting. Star-Advertiser.

Outsider Candidates Win Big In Mayoral Primaries In Two Counties. On both Oahu and Hawaii Island, voters opted for outsiders of experience in contests to narrow down the field of candidates for county mayor. Hawaii Public Radio.

Post Primary Election Talk With Kai Kahele. Kahele made his remarks following the Hawaiʻi County Democratic Party Unity Breakfast, held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Big Island Video News.

Oahu

Honolulu police issue about 1,350 citations for COVID-19 violations on Oahu. Honolulu police issued about 1,350 citations over the weekend to alleged violators of the newly instituted COVID-19 emergency orders. Star-Advertiser.

A Heart Of Gold’: The Other Side Of Accused Crime Boss Michael Miske. The Hawaii businessman charged with racketeering and murder convinced several people to write letters on his behalf so that he can get out on bail while awaiting trial. Star-Advertiser.

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2 Princeton graduates are trying to turn a Waikiki hotel into a college dorm. It's called "The U Experience," and according to the program's website, it's supposed to help the mental health of students by getting them out of their homes and house them in resorts as they complete their coursework online. KITV4.

Study in paradise? Mainland students are being recruited for a ‘college bubble’ in Waikiki. Community concern is quickly spreading over proposed plans for a so-called “college bubble” at a Waikiki hotel. Hawaii News Now.

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State sweeps Iwilei homeless encampment near Nimitz Highway. A private contractor for the state removed on Monday appliances and other items from the sidewalk along North Nimitz Highway where a homeless encampment has grown to about a dozen tents. Star-Advertiser.

DLNR closes Oahu state hiking trails due to COVID surge. All trails in state forest lands on Oahu are now closed, effective immediately, in response to “12 straight days of triple-digit new positive COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, most of them on Oahu,” the state DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announced today in a press release. Star-Advertiser.

The city advances an $80 million plan to turn Kapalama Canal into a recreation area. The city is advancing plans to turn an old utilitarian flood-control canal in Kapalama into an inviting mile-long public recreation destination. Star-Advertiser.

HTA funding will help restore a palace feature tied to Kalakaua’s 1883 coronation. Some overdue maintenance at Iolani Palace is finally underway thanks to a grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Among the projects at the palace: A restoration of the landmark pavilion on the palace grounds. Hawaii News Now.

How Is Oahu’s Trash Impacting the Waianae Coast? Debates within the Nanukuli and Maili community about a possible landfill expansion are heating up. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Roth sweeps most Big Island precincts: Kim doesn’t win a single precinct, analysis shows. Mayor Harry Kim didn’t prevail in a single one of the Big Island’s 43 voting precincts while coming in third behind two of the 14 challengers for the county’s top elected post. West Hawaii Today.

Interactive precinct web map can be found here.

Kim reflects on his time in office, offers advice to next mayor. When the clock strikes noon on Dec. 7, Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim will leave the job he’s done for a dozen years in two stretches. Tribune-Herald.

Partial Inter-island Quarantine Begins Today On Hawaiʻi Island. As of Tuesday, all travelers arriving in the County of Hawai‘i must follow a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine, as the State of Hawaiʻi tries to limit the spread of COVID-19. Big Island Video News.

Miloliʻi Beach Park Improvements Planned, Draft EA Posted. The County wants to bring the South Kona shoreline park into compliance with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Lynn DeCoite and Walter Ritte wait out recount in state House race. The state Office of Elections was holding a mandatory vote recount Monday in a too-close-to-call Democratic primary race between incumbent Rep. Lynn De­Coite and challenger Walter Ritte for the state House District 13 representing Lanai, Molokai, and Paia and Hana, Maui. Star-Advertiser.

DeCoite leads Ritte by 91 votes as recount is planned. Incumbent winning on Molokai and Lanai, Ritte takes East Maui. Maui News.

Kauai

West Kaua‘i Community Plan comes with code amendments. Last week, Planning Director Ka‘aina Hull introduced six bills to complement the newly proposed West Kaua‘i Community Plan by amending the Kaua‘i County Code’s comprehensive zoning ordinances. Garden Island.

Public input sought for Kapa‘a skate park.  A new design for the Kapa‘a skate park is on the horizon, and public input is being collected to figure out what exactly the community would like to shred their wheels on next. Garden Island.

Kapa‘a food pantry reopens. The Kaua‘i Community Pantry is now open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. for customers who must register and then get help with the no-touch shopping that includes pointing out desired items for the pantry volunteer to package. Garden Island.