Tourism marketing contract rescinded, Pearl Harbor attack remembered, Mauna Loa lava flow near military area raises concerns, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lucrative Hawaii tourism marketing contract rescinded again. Mike McCartney, whose term heading the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism ended at noon Monday, said in two letters that his decision is “final and binding” and that he is confident the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the state agency that solicited bids and awarded the contract, will solicit new bids that split the desired work in two pieces. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

81 years since Pearl Harbor attack, thousands to remember the ‘everlasting legacy’.  Thousands will gather Wednesday to mark another year since the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor and honor all those who sacrificed their lives. At the same time, many will celebrate the future that came after — when once bitter enemies became loyal friends and allies. Hawaii News Now.

Stemming the tide of corruption: Commission submits 31 proposals for change. A commission created to recommend ways to stem the tide of corruption in Hawaii state and local government has released an ambitious agenda that includes 31 proposals for the 2023 Legislature that convenes next month. West Hawaii Today.

More Hawaii households in poverty, report finds.  An Aloha United Way report, based on a 2022 statewide survey, found that while 9% of Hawaii households were below the federal poverty line in 2019, that percentage ballooned to 15% in 2022. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii government workers can switch insurance providers.  State and county government workers can now switch out their Kaiser Permanente health insurance for a Hawaii Medical Service Association plan — with no questions asked — if they are struggling to access behavioral health services due to a prolonged strike of Kaiser’s mental health clinicians that has entered its fourth month. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu Permit Applicants May Get Refunds If Approval Takes Too Long. Currently, the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting can cancel permit applications that have been in its system for 365 days, and the applicant forfeits their entire plan review fee. Civil Beat.

City to end free COVID-19 testing program on Oahu.  The City and County of Honolulu announced today that it will cease its free COVID-19 testing operations at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and other sites after Dec. 30. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Military refuses to release video of toxic spill at Red Hill, sowing new suspicion and concern. The state Health Department is demanding that the military release video of the latest spill at the Red Hill fuel facility. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu home sales plunge amid rising interest rates. Sales of single-family homes nose-dived 48.2% in November to 192 from 371 in the year-earlier period while condominium sales tumbled 43.4% to 340 from 601, according to data released Tuesday from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Star-Advertiser.

Wahiawa’s New ‘Ad Hoc Mayor’ Has The Vision And The Power To Help His Hometown. Wahiawa, once a global agricultural center and now a down-on-its-heels urban hub in the middle of Oahu, has an important benefactor: Hawaii Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, the often controversial chairman of the state’s powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Commission names final four for Big Island police chief. The Hawaii County Police Commission on Tuesday revealed the four finalists to succeed Paul Ferreira, who retired Aug. 31 as the county’s police chief. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

New Hawaiʻi County Council sworn in Monday.  The nine members of the new Hawai‘i County Council — all chosen by their communities to make the Big Island better — were sworn in Monday during the Hawai‘i County Inaugural Ceremony at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.  Big Island Now.

Mauna Loa lava flow edges closer to Saddle Road. Lava from the Mauna Loa eruption closed the distance to Daniel K. Inouye Highway to just 1.5 miles, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Tuesday afternoon. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.

Pohakuloa Training Area munitions raise concerns as Mauna Loa lava creeps closer.  A day after an unexploded training ordinance was found on Old Saddle Road by a civilian visitor, the press peppered county and military officials with questions about what other possible munitions remain on the terrain of the training area. KITV4.

‘We feel so lucky’: Crowds flock to Maunakea VIS to see Mauna Loa eruption. Thousands of residents and tourists braved the cold and the possibility of altitude sickness last weekend to see one of the best views of the Mauna Loa eruption — from its sister volcano, Maunakea. Tribune-Herald.

Access and air quality are top of mind for Hilo High during Maunaloa eruption.  Public schools on Hawaiʻi Island remain open despite the Maunaloa eruption. While there is a degree of excitement among some teachers and students — there’s also a level of anxiety. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Whale spotted off Maui with “blunt force injuries” likely caused by a vessel strike. A whale in distress, spotted in West Maui waters last week, suffered from blunt force injuries, likely caused by a vessel strike either on its migration to Hawaiʻi or while in feeding grounds, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation.  Maui Now. KHON2.

Input sought on mosquito suppression efforts to address impacts of avian malaria on Maui. Haleakalā National Park is seeking public input on an environmental assessment for the “Suppression of Non-native Mosquito Populations to Address the Impacts of Avian Malaria on Threatened and Endangered Forest Birds on Maui.”  Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

DHHL plan includes 190 lots on Kaua‘i.  The final draft of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands plan to spend a historic $600 million allocation indicates it will fund the development of 190 lots on Kaua‘i. Garden Island.

Liquor investigators checking Kaua‘i businesses.  Department of Liquor Control investigators will be conducting compliance checks at Kaua‘i businesses this holiday season. Investigators will also work directly with business owners to identify minors using false identification to buy alcohol, the County of Kaua‘i announced Tuesday. Kauai Now. Garden Island.