Blangiardi defends $1B Ala Wai project, attorney general touts recreational marijuana plan, Young Brothers averts Hilo shipping snafu, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Mayor Defends $1 Billion Ala Wai Canal Flood Plan. The project will be funded by the federal government and the city. The city’s share would be about $375 million. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.

Hawaii looks to Massachusetts for guidance on legalizing recreational marijuana. Legalizing recreational marijuana in Hawaii may depend on the success of another state: Massachusetts. Hawaii’s attorney general has adopted that state’s system in her proposal for Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Change of federal law intends to help Native Hawaiians reclaim ancestral bones. The federal government has made it easier for Native Hawaiian families to make claims for the return of iwi, or ancestral remains, currently housed in museums and other institutions. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Hawaii’s first homeless ‘medical respite’ site closing as concept expands. After more than six months of housing and treating homeless patients discharged from Oahu hospitals, Hawaii’s first “medical respite” kauhale will begin shutting down Thursday and take the lessons learned to two new projects designed to expand to mental health issues affecting the homeless. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor: Credibility of HPD ‘on the line’ as officers are being investigated for mishandling crash probe. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi is responding to police body camera video that shows the actions of Honolulu police officers under investigation for mishandling a crash investigation involving one of their own. Hawaii News Now.

Community shares input on proposed Chinatown hotel. A proposed 15-story hotel in Chinatown now sits in the City’s Department of Planning and Permitting agency review process. KHON2.

Value of urban Oahu properties increases. While the overall assessed value of taxable properties on Oahu for 2024 didn’t skyrocket as it did a year ago, the city says the assessed value of homes in some parts of urban Honolulu are up by as much as 5%. Star-Advertiser.

TSA agents find anti-aircraft ammo in Thermos at Daniel K. Inouye Airport. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers discovered ammunition in a checked bag at the Daniel K Inouye Airport. KITV4.

Over 600 benches and tables installed in Honolulu parks. The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation completed its “Let’s Meet at the Park” initiative Tuesday, installing more than 600 park benches and tables throughout Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Young Brothers averts Hilo shipping snafu. With the help of the Hawaii Fire Department, interisland freight shipper Young Brothers was able to reopen its facility and resume cargo operations at the Port of Hilo on Tuesday afternoon, averting a possible disaster for East Hawaii retailers, wholesalers and consumers during the busy holiday season. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.  KITV4.

Pahala gets access to high-speed internet service. Pahala is the first Hawaii Island ZIP code to be fully enabled to receive Hawaiian Telcom’s high-speed fiber internet service. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Now.

2 options mulled for Mud Lane, including evacuation route. The Hamakua Community Development Plan Action Committee is mulling whether to request the county maintain Mud Lane or to open it up as an emergency evacuation route. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Hawaiian Electric, Solar Industry Eye Microgrids As A Way To Make Lahaina More Resilient. They would offer plenty of benefits, but it's difficult to build those systems and will need buy-in from the West Maui community. Civil Beat.

Four renewable energy projects slated for Maui. Hawaiian Electric will begin contract negotiations with developers of four renewable energy projects on Maui, that the company says “will further reduce Hawaii’s dependence of imported oil for power generation.” Maui News.

$354,000 grant approved for sediment removal and flood mitigation in South Maui.  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has approved a $354,000 grant to the Mālama Haleakalā Foundation for site assessment and preliminary design for a stormwater-detention basin at Kūlanihākoʻi in South Maui. Maui Now.

Maui Fire Victims Fight To Keep Lawsuits On Maui. Score of cases have been removed from Maui state court to federal court on Oahu. An attorney says it's unfair to expect victims to have to travel for trials. Civil Beat.

Families Displaced By The Maui Fires Are Tired Of Shuffling Between Hotel Rooms. The American Red Cross says it is continuing to negotiate with hotel and condo properties to extend sheltering program contracts. Civil Beat.

SBA grants 45-day deadline extension for Maui disaster loans. The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering a 45-day grace period from Monday’s deadline for Maui residents and businesses to apply for disaster loan assistance. Star-Advertiser.

All Lahaina wildfire zones reopened. All 83 zones in the Lahaina Wildfire Disaster Area completed reopening Tuesday, over a week ahead of schedule. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Visitor spending soars. Visitor spending eclipsed the $200 million mark for the 10th straight month in October, as tourists continued to pour record sums of money into the island of Kaua‘i economy while on holiday in 2023. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i hotels fare well in October. The average daily rate for a room jumped to $396 in October, according to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published monthly by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. That was up 8.3 percent from October 2022 and 56.1 percent from pre-pandemic October 2019. Garden Island.