Green to meet with Biden next week on Maui recovery fund, El Nino drought to continue well into 2024, new landfills eyed for Oahu and Maui, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

‘Recovery and humanitarian’ fund for Maui fire victims’ families planned.  Gov. Josh Green plans to announce details of a new “recovery and humanitarian fund” for families that lost loved ones or were injured in the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire.  Green plans to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House next week, along with meetings with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and HaCivil Beat.waii’s congressional delegation. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Biden: $3.5B to strengthen nation’s electric grid after Maui fires. The Biden administration on Wednesday announced $3.5 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen electric grid resilience as extreme weather events such as the deadly Maui and California wildfires continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems. Associated Press. Maui Now.

Hawaii drought to continue into 2024, NOAA says. Due to El Nino conditions, Hawaii’s current drought is expected to continue well into next year, and possibly even into the 2024 dry season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Navy hospital ship stops on Oahu ahead of Pacific mission.  The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy is in Hawaii this week as it prepares for a deployment to several Oceania islands as part of the Navy’s Pacific Partnership program. Star-Advertiser.

2 Different Nonprofits Are Paying This CEO Hefty Salaries. She Says She Works Full Time For Each One. Denise Yamaguchi's two nonprofits have also gotten more than $1 million in grants from the Legislature in recent years. Civil Beat.

Oahu

4 possible Oahu landfill sites under scrutiny, city official says.  Four alternate sites to replace the 34-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei could include federally owned properties in West Oahu and on the Windward side, a top city official says. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Arrests Of 4 Police Officers On Domestic Violence Charges Raise Concern. Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan called it an "anomaly" that four officers were arrested in a two-week period. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Honolulu bill offering tax incentives to build film studios is postponed. The Honolulu City Council on Tuesday put the brakes on a bill that would provide tax incentives for property owners who want to build film studio facilities on O'ahu. Hawaii Public Radio.

Army combat exercise to temporary close Dillingham Airfield. Tropic Lightning Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division will participate in the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center drill, which includes blank ammunition and simulated explosions. Hawaii News Now.

Waikīkī Aquarium releases 150 tagged pāpio into the wild. The Waikīkī Aquarium is partnering with the Oceanic Institute of Hawai‘i Pacific University to release some fish. KHON2.

Health Department shuts down Meatheads food truck in Kakaako. The state Health Department today issued a red placard to the Meatheads food truck in Kakaako, shutting it down until water is available for employees to wash their hands. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Seismic activity increases at Kilauea; HVNP closes two trails. Continued unrest at Kilauea volcano has led Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to close more trails to the public. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.

UH Hilo set to lead $6.6 million National Native Language Resource Center. The U.S. Department of Education has granted $6.6 million to launch the National Native American Language Resource Center (N-NALRC), a consortium led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. KITV4.

Endless problem: Houseless evicted on private property on Ali‘i Drive donʻt move far. In late September, about 30 people at a houseless camp – some of whom have lived there for at least a year – were asked to vacate private land next to Coconut Grove Marketplace along Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. Big Island Now.

Bill Prohibits Parking On Aliʻi Drive At Kahaluʻu Beach Park. A Hawaiʻi County Council committee on Tuesday advanced a bill dealing with parking issues along certain portions of Aliʻi Drive that front Kahaluʻu Beach Park.  Big Island Video News.

Maui

Nonprofit head: Maui trying to bury 2018 wildfire report that offers insight into government inaction. The head of the West Maui Improvement Foundation says Maui officials are trying to bury an after-action report that documents the county’s emergency response to another disastrous wildfire that swept through part of Lahaina back in 2018. Hawaii News Now.

New landfill to be built on Maui for debris from Lahaina’s burn zone. Federal and county officials have confirmed that a new landfill will be built on Maui, exclusively for debris from Lahaina’s burn zone. Hawaii News Now.

Council to consider real property tax exemption for Maui wildfire victims. Survivors who lost their homes in the fires won’t have to pay property taxes under a new bill before the Maui County Council. Bill 95 announced Wednesday that it provides exemptions for homeowners, short-term rental owners, and hotels that house people displaced by the disaster. Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Bissen to host community budget meetings for Fiscal Year 2025. Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration will host community budget meetings throughout Maui County starting next week for residents to share their priorities and provide input on the budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024. Maui Now.

Site aims to match residents with housing they can afford. Median market rents advertised for homes on Maui are around $700 to $1,500 higher per month than what families say they can actually afford. According to Maui Hale Match, the median market rent for a two-bedroom home is $3,495. Families looking to rent a place of this size say they can afford $2,400, which is a difference of $1,095. Maui News. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui United Way distributes $7M in $1,000 payments to 7,000+ fire survivors.  Maui United Way forged a rapid partnership with Honolulu-based Aloha United Way to construct a comprehensive process for reviewing intake forms for the program.  Maui Now.

King Kamehameha III and Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary reopen on shared campus. Lahaina’s two elementary schools reopened to hundreds of students today on a shared campus that faculty and staff from both schools have worked hard to make as inviting and familiar as possible for their communities impacted by the August wildfires. Maui Now. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

State energy office, KIUC receive federal support for innovative technology development projects. Two technology demonstration projects proposed by the Hawai‘i State Energy Office in partnership with Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative will receive more than $17.9 million in funding through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program. Kauai Now.

Princeville library to receive a $7 million makeover. A yearlong renovation project at the Princeville Public Library will shutter the facility beginning Monday, Oct. 30. Garden Island.

Free, collapsible water jugs to be distributed. The County of Kaua‘i Department of Water will be distributing free collapsible water jugs along with other water conservation tools and prizes on Saturday during the weekly Grove Farm Market that starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Puhi open field. Garden Island.