Reapportionment Commission upending old plans, Green seeks mass vax sites ahead of worsening coronavirus surge, someone's shooting endangered monk seals on Molokai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Rep. Sylvia Luke

Rep. Sylvia Luke’s District May Be Dissolved To Help Calm The Reapportionment Furor. After some intense lobbying by critics, the state Reapportionment Commission now wants to overhaul the proposed House district maps that might have set up primary election contests between as many as 10 incumbent Democrats. Civil Beat.

November hotel occupancy in Hawaii stays below 60%. Occupancy at Hawaii hotels in November was still significantly below the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Star-Advertiser.

Green urges other state officials to sign off on large-scale booster clinics ahead of Christmas. Lt. Gov. Josh Green believes the best way to knock back this latest surge is to make it as easy as possible for people to get a booster shot. Hawaii News Now.

Rapid rise in COVID-19 cases prompts Hawaii hospitals into crisis preparation mode. Hawaii’s hospitals are gearing up for a rise in COVID-­19 patients as the omicron variant takes hold in the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii sees 707 new coronavirus cases, bringing statewide total to 94,293. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 647 new cases on Oahu, nine on Hawaii Island, 24 on Maui, 10 on Kauai, one on Molokai, one on Lanai and 15 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

‘The Stakes Are High’: Why The Navy Doesn’t Want To Defuel The Red Hill Tanks. Public pressure to remove jet fuel from more than a dozen Navy underground storage tanks on Oahu comes as the U.S. military feels increasing pressure from China to strengthen its presence in the Pacific region. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.

Navy now says major release from Red Hill tank in May may be source of water contamination. A top Navy official now says that as much as 19,000 gallons of fuel may have been released from a Red Hill fuel tank May 6, eventually migrating last month into the Navy’s drinking water system and the faucets of thousands of military families. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii Supreme Court rules forfeitures of sweepstakes machines improper. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and the Honolulu Police Department may be forced to return hundreds of sweepstakes machines under a ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court. Hawaii News Now.

$120 million clinic will treat Leeward vets. The Department of Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Healthcare System officially broke ground Tuesday on its long-planned community clinic for the Leeward side. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Water Board frustrated by slow PVC project: Solar plans stuck in building permit backlog. First the pandemic lockdown orders and then delays getting permits from a backlogged Department of Public Works have led to a 382-day delay in the county Department of Water Supply being able to transition some of its electrical use to solar power. West Hawaii Today.

Forecasters: Expect a wet Christmas. East Hawaii residents should expect the wet weather that’s drenched the windward side of the island for much of the month to continue through Christmas weekend. Tribune-Herald.

USGS: Eruption at Halemaumau Crater has paused, break could last several days. The eruption that began months ago at Halemaumau Crater has paused, the U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday. Geologists said based on the length of recent breaks, this one could last several days. Hawaii News Now. Big Island Now.

Maui

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Makes Donation to Maui Hospital. Maui Memorial Medical Center today announced a donation from Amazon Founder and Executive Chair, Jeff Bezos. The donation will be used to expand the hospitalʻs Emergency Department. The amount is undisclosed and was received in full by MMMC, according to a Maui Health spokesperson. Maui Now.

Kalama Intermediate Dedicates Long Awaited Outdoor Playcourt. The newly covered playcourt will be used for Physical Education classes and will provide the school with a new outdoor space with rain protection. Maui Now. Maui News.

Monk seal fatally shot is third death on Molokai this year. An endangered Hawaiian monk seal that was found dead on Molokai in September was shot in the head with a gun, federal officials said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Associated Press. Tribune-Herald. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Kauai

Kipu Ranch Adventures turns over $7,170 in proceeds to Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i. The $7,170 total presented to Tisha Ruiz and Michelle Panoke of the foodbank represents what has been collected since the program got underway in June. Garden Island.

Kukulu Kumuhana O Anahola begins Ulupono Anahola planting. As part of KKOA’s three-day ‘Aina to ‘Opu event, yesterday’s day two marked the first day of planting kalo on the Ulupono Anahola Makai site. Garden Island.