In-person voting begins today, Navy to start draining Red Hill tanks, health experts urge bivalent COVID booster, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Voter Service Center on Election Night 2020 ©2022 All Hawaii News

Voter service centers to open for in-person voting Tuesday. Hawaiʻi voters should have received their mail in ballots last week. For those who prefer to vote in-person, voter service centers open Tuesday, Oct. 25. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ranked choice elections coming to Hawaii. Although the process will not be used in this year’s general election here at home, starting next year when Hawai’i has a special federal election or special election of vacant county council seats the process will be used. KHON2.

Bank of Hawaii posts strong loan growth, but profit falls. Bank of Hawaii posts strong loan growth, but profit falls. Bank of Hawaii Corp. showed strong loan growth in the third quarter but saw its stock price tumble to a 52-week low Monday after reporting a 14.9% decline in net income primarily due to some one-time items. Star-Advertiser.

With fentanyl driving up Hawaii overdoses, drug agents are urging caution for trick-or-treaters. Hawaii drug agents are urging extra caution this Halloween, advising trick-or-treaters (and their parents) to only accept candy from trusted family and friends. Hawaii News Now.

Expert: Protection from early COVID vaccines ‘pretty much totally gone’. As new COVID-19 variants spread throughout the community, protection from previous infections and prior vaccinations is waning. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii health officials urge kupuna to get bivalent boosters as soon as possible. For some kupuna, getting the updated bivalent booster for COVID-19 was top priority once it became available over Labor Day weekend in Hawaii. For others there seems to be no particular rush. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

‘Unpacking’ of Red Hill fuel pipelines begins today. Joint Task Force Red Hill, the military group tasked with draining the tanks at the Navy’s underground fuel storage facility, is slated today to begin “unpacking” 1 million gallons from pipelines that connect the tanks to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

OCCC is obsolete and overcrowded. What’s next for this jail is up for debate. Between calls for tougher treatment of criminals and movements for bail and prison reform, Oahu Community Correctional Center remains in limbo. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Proposed City Council resolution looking to improve officer retention and police coverage. A new resolution is making its way through Honolulu City Council as concerns mount about police coverage on the West Side of Oahu. But it may have far reaching affects going well beyond that area. KITV4.

Politics Afoot? A Long-Sought Civic Center In Wahiawa Has Been Stalled For Nearly A Year. Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz’s signature project for Wahiawa has been on Gov. David Ige’s desk since January. Ige’s not saying why he won’t sign off. Civil Beat.

Few short-term rental owners register upon launch. The mad rush for short-term rental owners in resort districts to register under the city’s new short-term rental law, Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41), didn’t happen Monday, the first day that the city made the online process available. Star-Advertiser.

City moves forward with project to install ‘bus only’ lanes on busy Waikiki thoroughfare. The city says the new street plan for Kuhio Avenue is designed to make the road safer, but residents believe it will do the exact opposite. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

State high court to determine burden of proof in Maunakea rules case. A legal challenge against the University of Hawaii’s rules for managing Maunakea cannot proceed until the Hawaii Supreme Court settles a question of legal procedure. Tribune-Herald.

SHOPO: Detectives, officers put investigations on hold to provide security at 2-day Ironman event. The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers says it’s investigating how security was handled for the IRONMAN World Championship event in Kona earlier this month. Hawaii News Now.

Plans Detail New Hilo Medical Center Building. Hilo Medical Center is proposing a new 2-story, 18,750 square foot Medical Office Building, which would occupy space on its existing campus on Waianuenue Avenue. Big Island Video News.

County to unveil repair plans for dangerous Waipiʻo Valley Road at public meeting Oct. 26. Over the past year, the narrow, steep Waipiʻo Valley Road has been the focus of a geotechnical engineering evaluation, an emergency closure, a lawsuit, a partial reversal of the emergency closure, community meetings and protests. Big Island Now.

Unexploded ordnance meeting slated today in Waikoloa. Members of the public are invited to a meeting today to learn about efforts to remove unexploded military ordnance from the former Waikoloa Maneuver Area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Charter Question Recommends Reforms For Maui Boards And Commissions. The ballot measure features a series of questions about the recruitment process for county boards and commissions, as well as some staff positions. Civil Beat.

Applicants sought for Maui County Boards and Commissions. Applicants are being sought from residents willing to provide public service on various Maui County boards, commissions, councils and committees. Citizen volunteer responsibilities include attending meetings, receiving public testimony, and reviewing policies and standards. Maui Now.

Maui affordable housing project triggers land dispute. The family claims the parcel in Waiehu is “kuleana land,” which was land that was granted to Native Hawaiian farmers back in the 1800s. MEO says the property in question is actually a royal patent grant, which is an outright purchase of government land. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Community group lays out vision for Coco Palms. As the plan to develop the ruins of Coco Palms into a 350-room hotel slowly creeps forward, a community group has proposed an alternative vision for the site. Garden Island.

Kauaʻi County launches online road resurfacing and bridge status map. The County of Kaua‘i has launched an online Road Resurfacing and Bridge Status map, which enables the public to easily track the location of past, current and upcoming road projects. Kauai Now.