Giant condo management company lacks state license, newspaper clarifies Green nominee story, Supreme Court sides with OHA in dispute with auditor, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Property Management Giant Under Scrutiny. State officials have begun an investigation of one of Hawaii’s major condominium management firms, Associa Hawaii, which state records indicate has been operating without an active broker’s license required by law. Civil Beat.

Correction: Green plans different nominees to lead DBEDT, Office of Planning. Gov. Josh Green.  is prohibited by Senate rules to name replacements for Chris Sadayasu and Scott Glenn this session after they failed to win Senate confirmation. But he plans to replace them sometime in May once the legislative session adjourns on May 5. An earlier article indicated otherwise. Star-Advertiser.

Bill seeking to double the earned income tax credit in the state advances. The Senate’s Ways and Means committee approved a new version of House Bill 1049 Tuesday. The version increases the food excise tax credit, doubling it from its current rate. It also increases the earned income tax credit from 20% to 40% of the federal rate.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Governor’s plan to address homeless crisis includes construction of more than a dozen tiny home villages. A total of 24 sites are currently under consideration. A list of those sites is expected to be released in about a month. Hawaii News Now.

Corrections Nominee Tommy Johnson Clears Committee Vote, Advances To The Full Senate. A Senate committee voted 4-0 on Wednesday in favor of Gov. Josh Green’s appointment of Tommy Johnson to run the state’s prisons and jails despite bitter resistance from the union that represents Hawaii correctional officers. Civil Beat.

State Supreme Court rules with OHA in dispute. A legal dispute between two Hawaii state agencies came to an end Wednesday with a state Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs over the Office of the Auditor. Star-Advertiser.

Ruling opens path for UH grad students to unionize.  A Hawaii Supreme Court ruling issued Wednesday has opened the way for a group of University of Hawaii graduate assistants to petition to be classified as public employees with collective bargaining rights. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii COVID hospitalizations, cases on the rise again.  The Health Department today warned the rate of COVID hospitalizations is on the rise, with an 89.7% jump in the number of patients over the past week to 75 today.  DOH reported 1,047 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 383,880. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News.  Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Kūpuna could receive a large property tax break under proposed Honolulu bill. The Honolulu City Council’s budget committee met Tuesday to discuss four bills, including one that would raise the tax exemption for older homeowners still living in their primary residence. Hawaii Public Radio.

IRS grants tax relief to families affected by Red Hill water crisis. Civilians whose drinking water was contaminated by jet fuel from the Navy’s Red Hill storage facility in November 2021 will not have to pay federal or state income taxes on reimbursements they received from the military to cover expenses such as temporary lodging, meals and personal property damage, following guidance released Wednesday by the Internal Revenue Service. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Alleged Miske co-conspirator jailed for witness tampering. An alleged co-conspirator of reputed Hawaii crime boss Michael Miske was charged with witness tampering Monday after he allegedly threatened a woman not to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation. Star-Advertiser.
 

Thief swaps out QR code for one of their own. The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services said  in a news release today that some of the 1,700 city parking meters configured to accept payments via the Park Smarter phone app reportedly have fraudulent stickers on them. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

$26M for 2019 Likelike Hwy. tow truck crash victim. State taxpayers are on the hook to pay $26 million to a man critically injured by a runaway tow truck on the Likelike Highway. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Downtown Hilo plan rejected: A majority of business owners not on board with revitalization plan. The Downtown Hilo Business Improvement District — which was officially proposed by a Hawaii County Council bill in late 2022, but has been a topic of discussion for years — would allow property owners to fund infrastructure maintenance and other upgrades between Ponahawai Street, Wailuku Drive, Kapiolani Street and the Hilo Bayfront using assessments levied against member businesses. Tribune-Herald.

How A Reverse Mortgage Lender Took A Hawaii Man’s Home Over A $500 Repair. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled last week that Joseph B. Nutter & Co. and its lawyer committed fraud on the court by failing to give a full picture of their foreclosure on Elton Namahoe's Big Island house. Civil Beat.

Sweep at once iconic Uncle Billy’s resort in Hilo: 2 arrested, 10 cited for trespassing. More than three dozens officers from three law enforcement agencies conducted a dawn sweep of the condemned and dilapidated former Uncle Billy’s Hotel and Resort on Banyan Drive in Hilo. The result: two people arrested on outstanding warrants and 10 citations issued for simple trespass. Big Island Now. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Hawaiian men imprisoned for hate crime agree to pay $25,000. Two Native Hawaiian men sentenced to prison for a hate crime in the brutal beating of a white man have agreed to pay more than $25,000 in restitution, according to court documents.  Associated Press.

How Much Is Too Much? Lawmakers Move Forward With Plan To Study Capacity Of Popular Maui Beach. State officials says they already have a plan to tackle parking woes at Makena State Park, but many on Maui are calling for more action. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric to give update on renewable energy on Maui. Hawaiian Electric will hold a community meeting April 13 on Maui to provide an update on the renewable energy transition and recent developments on the status of the island’s existing power generation resources. Maui News.

Kauai

Kaua‘i Police Department budget hearing highlights vacancy problem. Amid national trends and a series of retirements, the Kaua‘i Police Department has struggled recently to fill a number of vacant positions. Garden Island.

Gun bill seeks limits in ‘sensitive’ areas. A Kaua‘i gun control advocate and a gun store manager are speaking out with contrasting opinions on recent gun control legislation, as a bill aimed at restricting who can carry firearms, and where, continues to make its way through state Senate chambers. Garden Island.