Volcano alert level lowered, Hawaii Proud Boys founder sentenced to 4 years in Capitol insurrection, Gov. Green restarts Aloha Stadium partnership, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Mauna Loa eruption subsides PC:USGS

The USGS has lowered the Volcano Alert Level for Mauna Loa from WARNING to WATCH. The Volcano Alert Level for Mauna Loa was changed from WARNING to WATCH on Saturday, following the substantial reduction in lava output and volcanic gas emissions. Big Island Video News. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. 

Mauna Loa eruption update website. USGS.

Hawaii bankruptcy cases closing in on 17-year low.  Despite a possible recession looming in 2023, state residents have been able to dodge filing for financial relief, with the 78 cases in November marking the 10th time this year there have been fewer than 100 filings in a month. Star-Advertiser.

Native Hawaiian fishing permit approved for Papahanaumokuakea. A noncommercial and subsistence fishing permitting system has been recommended for federal waters surrounding the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in a move to encourage Native Hawaiian cultural practices, and it will come with the ability for fishers to recoup up to $15,000 per subsistence fishing trip. Star-Advertiser.

Racial Disparities Vex Hawaii’s Child Welfare System. The causes are complex, but Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander parents are far more likely to have children removed by the state. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Proud Boys Founder Sentenced To Four Years In Prison. Nicholas Ochs, who was described by prosecutors as an “elder” in the extremist organization, was an active participant in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Plans To Update Its Noxious Weeds List. Local Environmentalists Aren’t Waiting. Hawaii has renewed efforts to revamp the official list of harmful weeds in the islands for the first time in 30 years as foreign flora threaten local crops, habitats and ecosystems.  Civil Beat.

Daniel K. Inouye’s legacy lives on 10 years after his death.  A dozen or so proteges of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye plan to lay red roses at his grave at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on Saturday’s 10th anniversary of his death. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Governor greenlights public-private partnership for stadium. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is restarting a public-private partnership pathway to develop the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District in Halawa, and he wants to shorten the project’s timeline by up to a year. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Families demand transparency, answers after Red Hill groundwater samples detect ‘forever chemicals’.  Groundwater samples recently released that detected “forever chemicals” near the Red Hill Fuel facility come as no surprise to families impacted by the Red Hill crisis.  Hawaii News Now. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Nonprofit Finds Success In Treating Mentally Ill Homeless People After Hawaii Loosened Law. The Institute for Human Services, a local nonprofit, has assessed at least 100 homeless people over the last 14 months, and has provided medication for about 30 — a significant increase. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Marathon marks 50 years as 27,000 runners hit the pavement.  The Honolulu Marathon celebrated 50 years on Sunday as 27,000 runners participated in the grueling 26.2-mile race from Downtown to Hawaii Kai then back to Waikiki. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County’s ‘Sensitive Locations’ Bill To Limit Concealed Carry Areas Now In Effect. Hawaii County Council Bill 220 became law Friday, the deadline for Mayor Mitch Roth to either sign it or allow it to become law, according to the County Clerk’s office. Civil Beat.

Factory-built housing not quite a reality: Affordable housing options still working through the process.  More than two years after the County Council passed building code revisions increasing bureaucratic hurdles for locally constructed factory-built housing, a project that would have mass-produced such housing has stalled, as the county Building Division works to streamline a process that regulates the new requirements. West Hawaii Today.

‘No one’s told our story’: Jason Momoa series being filmed on isle; temporarily closes Kaimu market. Filming on Hawaii Island for Jason Momoa’s Apple TV limited series “Chief of War” will wrap by the end of the week, according to the production’s unit publicist. Tribune-Herald.

‘Clean the land for Pele’: Volunteers help remove rubbish from areas along Saddle Road. Volunteers and members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I teamed up Friday to clean trash from the side of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Maui

Multi-agency search ends for missing woman who apparently suffered shark bite off Maui. The woman never made it, but a snorkel set and part of a bathing suit was found. Hawaii News Now.

Court ruling favors kuleana family in West Maui.  The Hawaii Supreme Court late last month ruled in favor of a Maui kuleana family, who will now get a chance to again defend their claim of land ownership in West Maui’s Kaua’ula Valley. Maui News.

East Maui project hopes mosquito v. mosquito mating battle will save endangered birds.  In the latest effort to protect endangered forest birds in East Maui, state and federal officials are gearing up for a mosquito versus mosquito mating mission. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative confirms three candidates for board election.  The nominated candidates are, in alphabetical order: Dee M. Crowell, Kimberly K. Lord and Allan A. Smith. Crowell and Smith are current board members. Garden Island.

A Series Of Snafus Has Left Kauai’s Premier Concert Venue Dark. Kauai’s premier performing arts stage has been closed for more than four of the last six years, reducing the island’s ability to attract big name acts and frustrating a rural arts community left with scant alternative venue options. Civil Beat.