Frustrations, lawsuits mount in Lahaina fire aftermath, state senator's personal litigation role questioned, FBI seeks familial DNA samples to ID remains, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Dozens of Maui residents express their frustration. The County Council heard sometimes conflicting recommendations about how quickly to move to rebuild Lahaina and what issues should be prioritized. The consensus was that community members should be consulted, but how soon remained unclear because many remain traumatized. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

A Key Maui Lawmaker’s Likely Role In Wildfire Litigation Raises Questions. State Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran said he sees no conflict between his role as a lawyer and his role as a lawmaker. Keith-Agaran, who represents Wailuku, Kalului and Waihee, appeared Friday in an online “Maui Wildfire Impact Community Discussion,” an event hosted by his law firm and a major mainland firm, Morgan & Morgan. Civil Beat.

Maui fire victims pursue tactic that led to $13.5B California settlement. Hawaii property owners are seizing on a legal shortcut used by fire victims in California to secure compensation from Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. for damages following the fires that ravaged Maui. Bloomberg.

Moody’s estimates Hawaiian wildfires caused up to $6 billion in economic losses. The losses could range from $4 billion to $6 billion, Moody’s said Tuesday. About 75% of the losses will be covered by insurance because of the island’s high insurance penetration rates, according to the risk modeling agency. CNN.

Hawaiian Electric engages Guggenheim amid Maui fire suits. Numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging that the utility’s power lines ignited the fires which destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaii earlier this month. The potential liabilities could reach almost $4 billion if the utility is deemed negligent, according to investment research firm Capstone LLC. Bloomberg.

Lahaina Was A Wakeup Call, But Forecasters Say Above Normal Fire Risk Remains. Self-preservation backed up by stringent building codes can significantly limit the potential for fire damage. Civil Beat.

As Maui burned, Hawaii’s top emergency management officials were at a Waikiki conference. As the wildfire in Lahaina spread, the Pacific’s top disaster management leaders were together with many of Hawaii’s emergency officials at a meeting on Oahu educating them about how to respond in crisis situations. Hawaii News Now.

Cancellations outpace bookings for Maui hotels. Gov. Josh Green used the opportunity of President Joe Biden’s visit Monday to strongly encourage visitors to travel to the unaffected parts of Maui and the rest of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Oahu

UH Law School Instructor Says He Was Banned For Criticizing ‘Nice Racism’. A prominent instructor at the University of Hawaii’s law school has sued the school, alleging the dean, unnamed faculty and a university provost retaliated against him by banning him from the law school campus after he criticized and organized a boycott against a Black History Month event that did not include any Black person as a panelist, facilitator or organizer. Civil Beat.

Redevelopment to begin on Varona Village. The Ewa plain community — once filled with 93 homes rented by employees of the long-defunct Oahu Sugar’s Ewa Plantation — is being redeveloped by the city in partnership with the Savio Group of Companies and Hawaii  Habitat for Humanity Association. Star-Advertiser.

TheHandi-Van use recovers from COVID with less reliable service. Ridership on TheHandi-­Van has nearly recovered from a drop that began with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are concerns about the government’s ability to keep up with the growing demand for its services. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hilo jail expansion should be complete in December.  The $20.7 million project will add 48 new beds to the jail and will increase its total operational capacity from 226 inmates to 274. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Farmers Held Back A Fire Until Help Arrived: ‘It Could Have Been Another Lahaina’. That same fateful day, a couple of farmers, a troop of cowboys and fire crews were all that stood between a Waimea wildfire and potential catastrophe. Civil Beat.

Staffing, maintenance woes continue to limit use of county pools. Frequent and random closures at Hawaii County pools are causing frustration for swimmers across the island. Tribune-Herald.

Once home to Keauhou Beach Hotel and Kona Lagoon, Kamehameha Schools continues work to rehabilitate historic land. At the southern end of Ali’i Drive on the way to Keauhou Bay is a grassy 22 acres that may look like a park, but holds generations of history of the Hawaiian culture including some of the 53 heiau (temples) along its Kona coastline. Big Island Now.

Maui

FBI says over 1,000 unaccounted for in Lahaina. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Maui police have made a public plea for DNA samples and specific identifying information as they work through a list of 1,000 to 1,100 people who are unaccounted for after the wildfires that leveled Lahaina and killed at least 115. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Associated Press.  Maui Now.  KITV4.

8 added to list of wildfire victims. The official death toll from the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire remained at 115 Tuesday, but the Maui Police Department released the names of eight more victims who died. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.

Maui fire relief housing program showing results. Nearly 80 households displaced by the fire that destroyed nearly all of Lahaina have found single-family homes, condominiums and other more residential temporary accommodations rented from owners under the Hawaii Fire Relief Housing program. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Kauai

Water service shutdown on Lauoho Road and Kaumuali’i Highway scheduled Aug. 24. A water service shutdown has been scheduled on a portion of Lauoho Road and a portion of Kaumuali’i Highway on Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting to allow contractor, Earthworks Pacific, Inc. to tie-in new service laterals to the existing waterline. Kauai Now.