Hawaii Island residents advised to pack 'go bag' as volcano rumbles, red light cameras catch drivers, Maui deputy police chief quits, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Snow-capped Mauna Loa in December ©2022 All Hawaii News

Big Island residents advised to pack ‘go’ bag as Mauna Loa rumbles. Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it might erupt. Experts say it would take just a few hours for lava to reach homes closest to vents on the volcano, which last erupted in 1984. Associated Press. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. Big Island Video News.

Mail-in voting still presents obstacles for people with disabilities. The Statewide Voters with Special Needs Advisory Committee began meeting earlier this year to make sure everybody in this group has the opportunity to vote. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi IT Scores A- In 2022 Digital States Survey. Hawaiʻi ranks among the top performing states with an overall grade of A- in the Center for Digital Government’s 2022 Digital States Survey. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii students outpace most of U.S. in pandemic test scores, study finds. While the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt public-school reading test scores in almost all other states, Hawaii was one of only two states where the reading scores for grades 3 through 8 have stayed relatively stable, according to a new independent analysis called the Education Recovery Scorecard. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Schools Are Struggling To Help English Learners Recover From Pandemic Setbacks. Distance learning had an outsized effect on students learning English. The DOE hopes more qualified teachers will turn things around. Civil Beat.

Fishing For Likes: Has Social Media Affected Ulua Fish Stock In Hawaii? Some experts say giant trevally, a culturally and ecologically important fish, has declined as its popularity has soared online, but better data is needed. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Rail utility work along Dillingham Boulevard to last over 3 years. A three-year slog up and down Dillingham Boulevard with round-the-clock construction taking up one side of the major thoroughfare between Kalihi and Iwilei is set to begin in November. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Red light cameras catch 126 drivers, warnings issued. The state says 126 drivers have been caught on camera going through a red light. For now, those drivers are only getting a warning. Fines will be handed out next month, and a second camera will be installed by then also. KHON2.

Board of Land and Natural Resources repeals permit rules for Waikiki surf instructors, others. The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Thursday to repeal administrative rules requiring surf instructors, outrigger canoe captains and other people who operate commercially in Waikiki waters to obtain a state permit certifying their qualifications, despite objections from some longtime operators who said it would threaten the traditions and legacy of the Waikiki beachboys. Star-Advertiser.

Attorney for alleged Russian spy in Hawaii withdraws following ‘breakdown’ in relationship. Walter Primrose and his wife Gwynn Morrison are accused of stealing the identities of dead babies from Texas in the 1980s. They also were found keeping military maps, coded messages, and kits for invisible ink in their home. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu’s only public shooting range closed indefinitely as probe into possible lead contamination begins. The city has no timeline for when Oahu’s only public shooting range will reopen as an investigation into elevated lead levels in the majority of workers at the facility begins. Hawaii News Now.

HNL airport: Mauka concourse restaurant plans rejected. The mauka concourse at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport opened to travelers more than a year ago, but the new facility is noticeably missing places to eat as the building permit application for a restaurant was recently rejected. KHON2.

KCC receives $1.29M grant for community health worker training. The grant is part of an $11.3 million award to the UH system from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Proposed rules would curtail manta viewing. The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation has developed a proposed series of rules that would limit the number and activities of permitted commercial manta ray viewing operators in order to mitigate overcrowding, environmental impacts and safety concerns. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Maui Now.

Fixes unveiled for Waipio road: Three-year effort would be done in phases. A three-year Hawaii County plan to fully reopen Waipio Valley Road by mitigating its safety hazards was met with little opposition Wednesday. Tribune-Herald.

Aging, overcrowded Hilo correctional center getting some help, but more is needed. Cramped, cluttered and under construction. That’s the current situation at Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center in Hilo. Big Island Now.

Hawaii Island residents who lost their homes to Kilauea eruption receive buyout checks. Hawaii Island property owners who lost their homes in the 2018 Kilauea eruption are finally receiving their buyout checks from the county. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

After just 10 months on the job, Deputy Police Chief Hank retires; Maui’s Wade Maeda promoted. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier selected Hank as his second in command prior to being sworn in last December. Maui Now.

3 years after riot, an inside look into what’s changed at Maui Correctional Center. More than three years after a jailhouse riot caused more than $5 million at Maui Community Correctional Center, the media got an inside look at all the changes. Hawaii News Now.

$8.29 M awarded to Pacific islands region projects. Five funded projects to benefit Maui, Molokai conservation. Maui News.

Kauai

Former JROTC instructor sentenced behind bars for child porn. A former JROTC instructor has been sentenced 14 years in prison for sexually exploiting a student, said the U.S. District Court on Friday. Victor Aguilar, 66, of Kauai pleaded guilty to child pornography offenses in May. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Kaua‘i tourism numbers surge in September. A post-pandemic bounceback appears to be in full swing on the island of Kaua‘i, as evidenced by strong gains in visitor numbers and tourism spending last month. Garden Island.

Inaugural Operation Rising Star golf tournament on Dec. 18 at Hōkūala on Kauaʻi. Hōkūala will host the inaugural Operation Rising Star golf tournament at its award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course on Dec. 18 with the proceeds going to Folds of Honor scholarship recipients in Hawaiʻi. Kauai Now.