Water deputy reinstated following Lahaina wildfire controversy, military set to empty Red Hill fuel tanks Oct. 16, Kilauea volcano getting ready to rumble, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kaleo Manuel reinstated as state Water Commission head.  The state Commission on Water Resource Management reinstated First Deputy Kaleo Manuel on Monday, nearly two months after he was reassigned following accusations by a land owner that he delayed access to water during the deadly Aug. 8 Lahaina fire. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii House And Senate Take Different Paths In Response To Wildfires. House members are divided into working in groups aimed at proposed legislation. Senators will propose individual ideas to a caucus meeting next month. Civil Beat.

State flooded with complaints about out-of-state attorneys soliciting Maui wildfire survivors. The tragic level of death and destruction on Maui has attracted a feeding frenzy of attorneys trying to sign up victims for lawsuits. Some of them are now under investigation for practicing without a Hawaii license or improper advertising. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaiʻi-led projects secure $800,000 in grants for post-wildfire research. Four University of Hawaiʻi-led projects received a total of approximately $800,000 in expedited RAPID grants from the National Science Foundation in the wake of the deadly Maui wildfires. Maui Now.

Oahu

Film studios bill passes first reading in Council. Bill 59, if adopted, would provide greater real property tax incentives for eligible film studio facilities to move here — at least those willing to spend at least $100 million toward local improvements. Star-Advertiser.

Military sets date to begin emptying fuel from Red Hill underground storage facility. Military officials say they hope to begin emptying the Red Hill storage facility of fuel on Oct. 16, pending final state Health Department approval. Joint Task Force - Red Hill plans to empty about 104 million gallons of fuel from the Red Hill underground facility. Hawaii News Now.

This Waianae Condo Development Has Lost Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars To Embezzlement. Condo association officials won't say who might have stolen the money, which appears to have disappeared over time and through phony invoices for work that was never performed. Civil Beat.

State-of-the-art emergency shelter facility in the works for Windward Oahu. A new state-of-the-art emergency shelter is in the works on the Windward side of Oahu. It comes with a big price tag, but residents and officials said safety should be priceless. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Kilauea shows continued ‘signs of unrest’; parts of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park remain closed. The area just south of Kilauea volcano’s summit continues to show signs of unrest, and inflation remains at about its highest level in more than five years and has nearly returned to the level seen just before the last eruption on Sept. 10, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported Monday. West Hawaii Today. Big Island Now.  Big Island Video News.

Street medicine team expands to Big Island, covering lots of ground to meet plenty of need. On Hawaii Island, officials estimate about half of the homeless population need psychiatric services. And data shows the island’s homeless population is growing — jumping 45% in just five years. Hawaii News Now.

Conference brings medical professionals, lawmakers, others together to discuss health care crisis. A myriad of stakeholders came together Thursday for the Hawaii Island Health Care Conference at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort to discuss the state of health care in Hawaii County. West Hawaii Today.

Seven Animal Control Officers Receive Badges. Work on the build out of the Animal Control and Protection Agency continues on Hawaiʻi island, with the announcement that seven animal control officers have completed training and were part of an inaugural badging ceremony on Friday. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Maui

West Maui phased tourism reopening is off to quiet start. Hotels from Kapalua to Kahana are officially open to visitors, but they’re not exactly packed.  Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.  Associated Press. Maui News.

Maui Mayor Gives EPA The Go-Ahead To Seal Down Lahaina’s Toxic Ash With Soiltac. With the rainy season approaching and Lahaina students poised to return to class next week, a sense of urgency has grown over how and when to temporarily glue down tons of toxic ash from the August wildfires that consumed the West Maui town. Civil Beat. Maui Now.

Maui Police Release Latest List Of Missing People From Fires.  On Friday the Maui Police Department posted the seventh list of the names of individuals who have been reported unaccounted for or missing — there are 10 total — following the Lahaina wildfire disaster Aug. 8. Civil Beat.

A studio for $3,000 a month? Skyrocketing Maui rents leave wildfire evacuees alarmed. At a Senate briefing in Lahaina last month, State Senators and Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs officials said they were unaware this was happening. Hawaii News Now.

Deadline now Oct. 25 for nonprofits, government to apply for Hawaiʻi fires’ disaster assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Administration has extended the deadline to Oct. 25 for private nonprofits and government organizations seeking public assistance funding for the Hawai‘i wildfire disaster. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Fire prevention is every day on Kaua‘i. This week is Fire Prevention Week on Kaua‘i, states a proclamation presented to the Kaua‘i Fire Department on Monday morning. Garden Island.

Median home price hits new high on Kaua‘i. A staggering leap in the median price of a home on Kaua‘i vaulted the housing market into rarefied air in August. Garden Island.