Pilot project gives DLNR more power to ticket, Red Hill defueling plan clears last hurdle, Maui County still not saying who was in charge during deadly Lahaina wildfire, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pilot project will allow on-the-spot tickets, fines for resource violations in Hawaiʻi.  The Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources is putting together a three-month pilot project that will allow state conservation enforcement resource officers to issue on-the-spot tickets and/or fines for rule violations.  Big Island Now.

Document details state’s strategy to improve internet accessibility. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism recently published a draft of its Digital Equity Plan, a document that establishes a multiyear series of strategies to improve internet connectivity throughout Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

UH announces 3 finalists in the running to become the next CTAHR dean. Three finalists have been named in the search for a dean of the University of Hawaiʻi’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Gov. Green orders U.S. and Hawaiʻi flags at half-staff to honor lives lost in attacks on Israel. To honor the lives of those lost, including Americans, that began with the attacks on Israel over the weekend, Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green has ordered the United States and Hawai‘i state flags be flown at half-staff at state facilities. Big Island Now.

Oahu

Hawaii Health Department approves Red Hill defueling plan. The state Department of Health announced Tuesday that it has conditionally approved the military’s plan to defuel the main tanks of the Navy’s underground Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility beginning Monday. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Traffic safety proposal could mean less parking in Kaimuki. Waialae Avenue from First through 11th Avenues is a bustling stretch. Those who live or work here are all too familiar with the dangers on the roadways. KHON2.

New commander of 25th Infantry Division hits ground running amid Pacific tensions. The new commander of the Army’s 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks has been busy from Day One of his new assignment after taking command in August. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii Island police to begin enforcing street vending rules. In a collaborative effort between the Hawaii Police Department, the State Department of Transportation and the County of Hawaii Planning Department, the police department is notifying the public of an islandwide enforcement initiative to clear state highways and county roadways of illegal commercial activities that include street vendors. Spectrum News.  KHON2.

To help the hardest to house, they start with a simple question: How are you feeling today? Hawaii Island’s largest homeless service provider is working to reestablish the critical resource in an attempt to take some of the burden off hospitals. The reboot comes at a critical point: Hawaii Island’s homeless population now stands at more than 1,000 people — up nearly 50% in the past five years, according to the latest point in time count. Hawaii News Now.

Former Konawaena Middle School teacher pleads no contest to sexual assault. John Lee Franks of Ocean View was indicted Feb. 23, 2022, on two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor less than 14 years old and one count of continuous sexual assault of a minor stemming from alleged incidents committed against a girl between November 2021 and mid-February 2022. West Hawaii Today.

Free or reasonably priced parking in Kona’s Historic Kailua Village getting difficult to find. Over the past several years, privately owned parking lots that used to be free so people could patronize restaurants, shops, bars and other businesses now are charging rates ranging from $9 to $15 per hour.  Big Island Now.

New nonprofit works to help control population of cats, dogs. A new animal rescue and advocacy group is working to get more dogs and cats adopted to help control the animal population on the Big Island. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County won't say who was in charge during Lahaina fire. On the afternoon of Aug. 8, an incident commander in Maui County should have been directing the emergency response to the Lahaina fire. Neither Maui County's communications director, nor the Joint Operations Center working on behalf of Maui County, will disclose who was calling the shots; or if anybody was at all. KITV4.

Maui police identify Lahaina resident, 57, as latest fire fatality. Maui police released the name today of one Lahaina resident as among the 98 confirmed Aug. 8 wildfire fatalities. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  KITV4.

It could be weeks more before all Upcountry Maui residents have safe drinking water. The tap water has been declared safe for drinking in about 75% of the Upcountry Maui area impacted by the Kula wildfire. Hawaii News Now.

Uncertainty over Lahaina fire survivors’ unemployment claims persists. Two months after the deadly Maui wildfires, widespread confusion and uncertainty continue over whether survivors will be denied weekly unemployment payments if they’re too traumatized to work. Star-Advertiser.

Lahaina tour, charter fishing operators appeal to state for solutions to get them back to work. Lahaina’s thriving commercial tour and charter fishing community was decimated by the Aug. 8 wildfire. And now those who lost their businesses say the state is failing to help some of them get back to work. Hawaii News Now.

Scientists install water quality sensors off Lahaina to study impacts to ocean. Over the weekend, teams from UH Manoa and the Pacific Whale Foundation installed water quality sensors in areas around the Lahaina impact zone. The sensors will look at the presence of contaminants and reef health. Hawaii News Now.

Maui County lifting restrictions for owners and residents of Zone 6C and 15A on Oct. 13. Zone 6C: Kahoma Village Loop and Hoe Kawele Drive. Zone 15A: Puapihi Street, Pualima Street, Pualima Place, Pualoke Place, Puapake Place, Front Street. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Could A Community Land Trust Give Locals More Control Of Lahaina? Concerns over the potential loss of land in the town began almost immediately. Civil Beat.

Crews continue daily patrols for hot spots in 1,000-acre Olinda fire.  Daily patrols for hot spots and still-smoking areas are continuing Upcountry, two months after the start of the roughly 1,000-acre Olinda fire.  Maui News.

American Lung Association’s chief doctor warns of fire exposure. The American Lung Association’s chief medical officer Tuesday encouraged West Maui residents who are returning to the Lahaina burn zone to wear protective gear. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i visitors spend mightily in August. Visitor spending on Kauai eclipsed $200 million for the eighth straight month in August, as tourists continued to plow big bucks into the local economy while on the island. Garden Island.

Hotels on Kaua‘i exceed 80 percent occupancy in August. Hotels on the island of Kauai put up big numbers in August with occupancy exceeding 80 percent, in turn generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue for lodging establishments. Garden Island.