Hawaii gets $115.5M to expand internet access, state website exposes Green's personal data, clean elections bill gutted, 2 Honolulu councilmen seek rejection of big raises, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii to expand internet access. The islands will embark on a furious new era of high-speed internet connectivity — free to low-income customers — over the next two years after receiving $115.5 million in federal funds Thursday. The majority of the funds, about $101 million, will be used to improve the underwater cable infrastructure linking each of the islands. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Are Hawaii Child Labor Laws Hampering Work-Based Learning Opportunities? House Concurrent Resolution 58 asks the state to review the current youth work permit system. Child labor laws in the state are being reviewed by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations this legislative session in an effort to determine if Hawaii has the right mix of opportunities for kids as well as sufficient legal protections for them.  Civil Beat.

Access to Hawaii governor’s personal records spurs investigation. The state Judiciary is investigating how many people gained access to a system used by about 1,500 criminal justice partners after a Maui defense attorney was able to pull the personal information of Gov. Josh Green from records of four parking tickets he paid. Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i ‘clean elections bill’ gutted at last moment. State legislators made significant last-minute revisions this week to a bill aimed at publicly financing elections, transforming what would have been a radical shift in Hawai‘i’s politics into a one-year pilot program missing half of its funds. Garden Island.

Affordable housing for teachers poised to get big infusion of cash. Lawmakers have agreed on a huge infusion of money for teacher housing as they approach the final big deadline of their session. Hawaii News Now.

Child care subsidy expansion bill moves to final floor vote. Measures to usher in universal preschool access have passed through conference committee at the state Legislature. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Tourism Authority’s future in limbo. Lawmakers head to conference today on two bills that provide a last chance for the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawai‘i Convention Center to get funded this session after their operational budgets were left out of the final version of a state budget bill earlier this week. Star-Advertiser. Garden Island.

Young climate plaintiffs fight trial delay. Attorneys representing the Hawaii youth plaintiffs suing the Department of Transportation for not doing enough to combat climate change have filed a motion to prevent the trial from being delayed by at least eight months. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Two Honolulu City Council members introduce bill to reject pay increase. Council members Augie Tulba and Andria Tupola have announced that they have introduced two resolutions that will reject the pay raises adopted by the Salary Commission. KHON2.

As House Prices Fall, Condo Prices Are Up in Seven Regions of O‘ahu. But just about everywhere on the island, fewer condos were sold in the first quarter of this year compared to last year – much fewer. Hawaii Business magazine.

Kamalani Academy wins appeal over closure of school. In an unprecedented court-style hearing Thursday, the state Board of Education reversed a decision by the state Public Charter School Commission to close the Wahiawa charter school Kamalani Academy.  Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

DOH: Discovery of WWII-era munitions along popular shoreline highlights alarming safety threat. The military says it recently unearthed six WWII-era mortars and grenades in Waimanalo, scattered throughout an area some residents use as a beach access. Hawaii News Now.

‘Forever chemicals’ detected in second Kunia Village well. A second well in Kunia Village, a small agricultural community in central Oahu, has tested positive for chemicals known as PFAS.  Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Acting chair is named head of Aloha Stadium Authority board. Brennon Morioka has been the board’s leader since last summer, when former Chair Ross Yamasaki’s term on the Stadium Authority ended. Star-Advertiser.

President of Nauru visits Honolulu. A Wednesday news release from U.S. Coast Guard District 14 said President Russ Joseph Kun and his delegation visited U.S. Indo- Pacific Command, met with Coast Guard officials and met with members of the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Waikiki. Star-Advertiser.

Knives, collapsible baton confiscated from Hilo-bound traveler at Honolulu airport. A Hilo-bound traveler was cited after two knives and a baton were confiscated from him while going through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport earlier this month. Big Island Now. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Goes Cashless On May 26. Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the park will no longer accept cash for entrance fees or passes; only credit / debit cards and digital site passes. Big Island Video News.

$18M secured to prevent closure of Kona Community Hospital.  From that amount, $16.2 million will go toward upgrades to infrastructure to mitigate the risk of the hospital’s closure, and $2.3 million is designated for expansion of the pharmacy. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. KHON2.

Hilo Company May Get $20 Million To Rehab Banyan Drive Condo Complex. A dilapidated condominium complex on state land along Hilo’s Banyan Drive may be in line for a $20 million makeover. The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources is expected to decide on Friday whether to award a contract to Hilo-based Banyan Drive Management to renovate the Country Club Condominium complex, a 152-unit property. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Big Island Police Tackle Cockfights But The Real Catch Is On The Sidelines. Hawaii County Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz says officers target cockfights where the stakes are highest. Civil Beat.

Maui

Retired Maui Wastewater Employee Gets 16 Months In Prison For Taking Bribes. Wilfredo Savella, 71, a  retired Maui County wastewater maintenance mechanic was sentenced Thursday to 16 months in federal prison and two months of house arrest for his role in a corruption scandal that also put away former state lawmakers Ty Cullen and Kalani English. Civil Beat.

The State Is Putting $100M Toward Major Maui Projects And Groups. Hawaii lawmakers allocated funding for axis deer mitigation, agriculture, school upgrades and more. Civil Beat.

Following upgrades, popular Maui destination will reopen — with a reservation system. After a months-long closure, a popular attraction on the Valley Isle will finally reopen next week. And when it does, tourists will have to plan ahead if they want to visit. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauai Wants To House The Homeless — Just Not In Their Backyard. The county is trying to address an increase in homelessness despite persistent NIMBYism. Civil Beat.

Health department retesting Waioli Beach Park water. Levels of 137 per 100 milliliters were detected during routine beach monitoring, but the Department of Health is uncertain about the representativeness of the first sample. Kauai Now.