Petroleum in drinking water at Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu council passes visitor tax, sperm whale carcass washes up on Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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Petroleum detected in water from Navy water system. The state Department of Health on Wednesday detected petroleum product in water samples taken at Red Hill Elementary School, augmenting fears about widespread fuel contamination within the Navy’s water supply system that serves an estimated 93,000 people. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Oahu military water contamination is a crisis of health, environment and trust. As water contamination continues for thousands of military residents on Oahu, throngs of families, agencies and advocates are outraged with the response from the U.S. Navy. KHON2.

Navy Exchange Mall eateries shut down temporarily as precaution over water concerns. The Navy continues to distribute water at multiple sites to affected residents on Wednesday, after a fuel-like odor was detected in tap water on the Navy water system. KITV4.

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 Is A Green Jobs Youth Corps The Key To Sustainability In Hawaii? The state Legislature approved $5 million in federal Covid-19 relief funding to support a new Green Job Youth Corps that will roll out next year. Civil Beat.

Here are the COVID-19 rules for social gatherings and events on every island. Effective Wednesday, under Gov. David Ige's latest emergency proclamation, restaurants, bars and gyms will be allowed to operate at full capacity statewide. However, there are still varying rules among the counties. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii records 8 new coronavirus-related deaths, 108 additional infections. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 51 new cases on Oahu, three on Hawaii Island, 25 on Maui, nine on Kauai and 20 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

City Council passes new Oahu visitor tax that could generate $86 million a year. A bill to levy a new 3% transient accommodations tax on Honolulu hotel rooms and other visitor rentals won easy approval from the Honolulu City Council Wednesday despite objections from critics of the city’s rail project, which will receive much of the money from the new tax. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Police Commission to be subject of city audit. The Honolulu Police Commission’s policies and procedures will be the subject of a city audit, which the panel’s chairwoman welcomes as the next step in a series of reviews that have so far evaluated conduct of police officers and prosecuting attorneys. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Housing Chief Gets Second Role As Head Of Community Services. The City Council approved Antony Krucky’s appointment as director of the Department of Community Services on Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

County Democrats seek clarity on reapportionment. The Hawaii County Democratic Party is asking the state Reapportionment Commission to take another look at how nonresident military and students were extracted from population data in light of new figures showing there were almost twice as many military personnel as previously thought. West Hawaii Today.

Feds fund Waianuenue bridge repairs. A small but significant bridge in Hilo will receive $1.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to kick-start a modernization and disaster mitigation project. Tribune-Herald.

State Seeks Big Island Nominations for BLNR. The Hawaiʻi County seat, currently occupied by Chris Yuen, will be vacant July 1, 2022. Applicants and nominees must be residents of Hawaiʻi County. Big Island Now.

Maui

Room rates up but visitor industry is still lagging. Maui County hotels led all counties in the state in average daily room rates in October at $480, up 42.1 percent versus 2019. It also led in revenue per available room at $289 in October, up 12.2 percent for the same time in 2019, according to data released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority last week. Maui News.

Health Department Issues Red Placard to Lahaina Eatery on Maui. The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Food Safety Branch issued a red “closed” placard to 808 Grindz Café, located at 843 Waine‘e St. in Lahaina, Maui, saying violations were found during a routine inspection yesterday. Both adult and juvenile cockroach activity was observed, according to DOH reports. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

In effort to reduce crime, police clear out homeless encampment on Kauai. Officials said local and state entities worked to clear the Kaiakea encampment across from the Kealia Kai lookout. Hawaii News Now.

Tour operators benefit from tourism uptick, still face challenges. Passenger air arrivals are up almost 14% from November 2019, but many tour operators have still not been able to return to full capacity after over a year of tight tourism restrictions that shuttered or downsized businesses island-wide. Garden Island.

‘Citizen Science’ can save monk seals, unravel marine debris mystery. Kaua‘i beachgoers are still needed in an international study of mysterious marine debris, three months after the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation announced its North Pacific Hagfish Trap Project. Garden Island.

Officials urge caution after adult sperm whale carcass washes up on Kauai. State and federal agencies are urging caution after an adult sperm whale carcass washed up on an outer reef of Kauai’s North Shore. Officials said the whale carcass is near Pilaa Beach. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.