Tax rebates coming next week, Hawaii Proud Boys founder to plead guilty, Honolulu takes electric buses off the street following recall, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii tax rebates slated to start arriving next week. State tax rebates should begin showing up in bank accounts of Hawaii residents Monday, though full delivery could be prolonged by a low supply of paper check stock. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Tourism industry expects a busier than normal fall season. DBEDT's latest economic outlook for the state predicts visitor arrivals will make a 99% recovery between September and November, compared to the same period in 2019. Hawaii Public Radio.

Immigrants in Hawaii. Hawaii is home to more than a quarter of a million immigrants who play a vital role to expanding Hawaii’s workforce and supporting the state’s economy. Immigrants make up approximately 18% of our entire population, according to New American Economy, a bipartisan research organization. KHON2.

Hawaii Proud Boys founder, accomplice intend to plead guilty to Jan. 6 insurrection charge. Nicholas Ochs, founder of the Hawaii Proud Boys, intends to plead guilty to “obstructing an official proceeding” following the storming of the U.S. Capitol in January last year. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii to net $7 million in Juul settlement. The state of Hawaii is set to receive $6.8 million from a multistate settlement with electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs over its role in the nation’s teen vaping epidemic. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. Maui Now. KITV4.

How Homeless People Have Weathered The Pandemic In Hawaii. Data collected from Hawaii and several other states shows that Covid-19 spread more slowly among homeless people compared with the general population. Civil Beat.

Civil Beat Asks Judge To Force Hawaii To Identify Prison Inmates Who Died Behind Bars. Other states routinely identify inmates who die in custody, but Hawaii refuses to do so. That prevents the public from learning how most of those inmates died. Civil Beat.

Oahu 

 ‘Safe and Sound Waikiki’ ramps up district’s crime-fighting, social service effort. A new crime reduction program called “Safe and Sound Waikiki” kicked off Tuesday in Waikiki, where the community has been demanding an official response to a rash of high-profile violent crimes. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

National recall on electric buses prompts City to pull fleet off Oahu roads. All 17 of Oahu’s new electric buses are off the roads due to a recall over potential leaks in the cooling system, city officials said Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

This WWII-Era Hangar Survived The Japanese Attack On Hawaii. The Marines Want To Tear It Down. The Marines have proposed demolishing the hangar and other historic buildings on their base in Kaneohe to make room for new aircraft. World War II historians call it an outrage. Civil Beat.

Council considers measure to crack down on ‘monster homes’. The Honolulu City Council is taking up a measure to target “monster home” development which would impose higher fines and blocks on permit applications for continuous violators of building codes. However, questions from builders have yet to be addressed. Star-Advertiser.

A ‘Tremendous Need’ For Affordable Housing In Hawaii Leads To Long Waitlists. As Honolulu officials push for more affordable housing, people are applying to multiple waitlists to get into available units. Civil Beat.

Honolulu police officers rarely disciplined for violating policy on body cameras. Five years after the Honolulu Police Department started rolling out body-worn cameras to officers, some are still not turning on the devices when required, others are shutting them off when they’re not supposed, and critics say it’s time for tougher penalties for policy violations. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

  Disaster management: Council committee clarifies language, still stuck on suspending electronic communications. A County Council panel Tuesday combed most of the snarls out of a sweeping emergency management bill, but remained stymied on a clause allowing the suspension of electronic media during a crisis. West Hawaii Today.

Council committee advances bill aimed at abandoned vehicles. A proposal to enable Hawaii County to remove abandoned vehicles from properties free of charge was widely popular at a County Council committee hearing Tuesday. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Overcrowding at HCCC ‘a serious and immediate concern’. A report by the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission details the effects of chronic overcrowding at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Ironman hosting two community update meetings. Following a three-year hiatus, the Ironman World Championship returns to Hawaii Island where in the first time in over 40-years, the iconic triathlon be contested over two-days on on Thursday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 8. West Hawaii Today. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Maui

 Volunteers sought for community emergency response team in Maui County. The Maui Emergency Management Agency is seeking community volunteers in Maui County to be a part of the Community Emergency Response Team, a national program designed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Maui Now.

Fishermen plea for help after summer swell ruins West Maui boat ramp. The monster south swell in July sent waves over rooftops, crashed wedding parties, ruined restaurants and pushed all the sand around at Mala Boat Ramp in West Maui. Hawaii News Now.

Record-setting heat rolls into September. Temperatures reached 93 degrees in Kahului on Sunday, tying the record set on the same day in 2016, according to the National Weather Service. Maui News.

Kauai 

 Seed distribution planned for this Saturday. Carmila Udarbe will be joined by Roy Miyashiro and Basilio “Coach Bunga” Fuertes Saturday when the trio distributes vegetable seedings from 8:30 a.m. at the ‘Ele‘ele Shopping Center. Garden Island.