Mayors mull vaccination mandates for county employees, schools open to in-person learning, local celeb chef dies of COVID, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

COVID vaccination PC:Steven Cornfield via Unsplash

All 4 Hawaii mayors are considering vaccine mandates for county workers. Potential policy changes would apply to nearly 13,000 workers statewide. Hawaii News Now.

Health officials look to add contact tracers. After scaling back its contact tracing program at the start of the year, state health officials are increasing the number of staff used to track COVID-19 cases as the highly ­contagious delta variant causes cases to spike to the highest levels seen since the start of the pandemic. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s public schools open new academic year amid virus concerns. Osa Tui Jr., president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said members reported that some schools opted to cancel large assemblies in their gymnasiums, but others did not, meaning hundreds of students sat shoulder-to-shoulder in events on different islands. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald. Garden Island. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. 

Rejection Of Ige’s Judicial Nominee Raises Questions Of Diversity In Hawaii Courts. Far fewer than half of the state’s judges are women, and men still far outnumber women in the legal field and in applications for vacancies. Civil Beat.

Beloved local chef, TV star Kawasaki dies while ill with COVID-19. A local family is mourning the loss of 45-year-old local star chef Grant Kawasaki. KHON2.

With COVID already canceling games, sports officials consider testing, mandating vaccines. With three non-leagues games cancelled this weekend, some feel there are better solutions to allowing athletes to suit up. Hawaii News Now.

Aug. 3, 2021 COVID-19 Update: 389 Cases, 1 death. The confirmed cases included: 266 on O‘ahu (+2 probable); 65 on Hawai‘i Island (-1 probable); 34 on Maui (-3 probable); six on Kaua‘i; and 18 in Hawai‘i residents diagnosed while out of state (+2 probable). KITV4.

Oahu

In First Six Months In Office, Honolulu Mayor’s Campaign Collected Over $600,000. Of the total donations, $450,000 went to repay Blangiardi for money he loaned his campaign. Civil Beat.

Honolulu rail costs ‘unimaginable,’ retired transit official says. A retired Federal Transit Administration official who had evaluation responsibility for America’s rail projects — including the city’s troubled system — called Honolulu’s spiraling costs and $3 billion deficit “unimaginable” and “far beyond” anything he has seen across the country in 30 years with the FTA. Star-Advertiser.

Mistaken identity lands man in Hawaii mental hospital for over 2 years. Hawaii officials wrongly arrested a homeless man for a crime committed by someone else, locked him up in a state hospital for more than two years, forced him to take psychiatric drugs and then tried to cover up the mistake by quietly setting him free with just 50 cents to his name, the Hawaii Innocence Project said in a court document asking a judge to set the record straight. Associated Press.

Updated Indictment In Miske Case Includes New Defendants And Details Of Alleged Murder. The kingpin’s daughter-in-law was named as a defendant, along with a business associate alleged to have bought a large fish bag to dispose of a body at sea. Civil Beat.

Reusable take-out container pilot project launches on Oahu's North Shore. A new pilot project, known as Full Cycle Takeout, hopes to reduce trash. KITV4.

Amazon has big plans for Kalihi Kai site. Amazon is preparing to change the way it fulfills customer orders in Honolulu with a new facility that could involve company-branded vans and personal vehicles delivering packages. Star-Advertiser.

State received 2 proposals in bid for removal of the Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor. The Hawaii Department of Transportation said it has received two proposals in response to its solicitation for the removal of the historic Falls of Clyde ship from Honolulu Harbor. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council members vote to oust Van Pernis. County Council members on Tuesday voted narrowly in favor of removing a commissioner from the Leeward Planning Commission. Tribune-Herald.

Puna land purchase advances. Hawaii County will consider purchasing 165 acres of Puna land under its open space land-buying program. Tribune-Herald.

COVID cases reported at Life Care Center of Hilo. Nearly a dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at Life Care Center of Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Community Input Sought at Maui Charter Commission Meeting. This is the latest in a series of meetings scheduled over the next several months by the Commission to obtain input and insights from the community related to proposed Charter amendments that will be considered for placement on the ballot in November 2022.  Maui Now.

Keawakapu Home Listed at $38M as Neighboring Property Sells for $45M, Highest on Record. A Balinese and Hawaiʻi-inspired beachfront home in Keawakapu, Maui is on the market, listed at $38 million. It comes up for sale as a separate property down the road, also in Keawakapu sold for a record $45 million. Maui Now.

Kauai

County has enough cash to ‘cure’ rent delinquency. Local nonprofit Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity, Inc. handles all landlord-tenant mediation cases in Kaua‘i County. Garden Island.

West Kaua‘i Energy Project discussion is Aug. 10. Keeping members informed and soliciting community feedback on the West Kaua‘i Energy Project is the intent of a series of monthly community meetings starting Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 4:30 p.m., at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center. Garden Island.