Condo owners hit with high insurance costs, climate change could bring more infectious disease, free flights offered to Maui fire survivors, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Condo Owners Are Starting To Feel The Pain From Rising Insurance Costs. Gov. Josh Green has created an advisory team to work on ways to stabilize the market which has been battered by climate-related catastrophes. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Scientists predict climate change will bring more infectious disease to Hawaiʻi .  As human-driven actions change the climate, they're also changing the landscape for infectious diseases. Health officials are grappling with what that means for Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Public Radio.

Schatz, Tokuda seek higher Medicare reimbursements for Hawaii physicians. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, alongside Hawaii’s congressional delegation, plans today to introduce new legislation seeking higher Medicare reimbursements for the state’s health care providers. Star-Advertiser.

Pacific Fleet gearing up for return of RIMPAC exercises to Hawaii. The U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet is gearing up for the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise — better known as RIMPAC — set to begin next month. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Mitsunaga Secretary Acquitted For Bribery Could Still Face State Campaign Violations. For a decade, Terri Ann Otani made tens of thousands of dollars in donations to political candidates in the names of her family members, according to her relatives.  Civil Beat.

Legal analysts: Board of Water Supply’s $1.2B claim with Navy likely headed to lawsuit. The Board of Water Supply and Navy are corresponding with each other as part of the utility’s $1.2 billion claim aimed at recouping costs associated with the Red Hill fuel leaks. Despite the movement, legal analysts think the massive claim will likely end up in court. Hawaii News Now.

Health official discusses air monitoring plan as Navy prepares to vent Red Hill tanks. More than 100 million gallons of fuel have been drained from the Navy Red Hill underground fuel facility, but residual fumes could still pose a risk to workers and neighboring communities. Hawaii Public Radio.

City begins sales of license plate shaka decals.  Starting Thursday, the new shaka license plate decal will be available for purchase at any satellite city hall on Oahu to support efforts to reduce aggressive driving. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Agriculture department surveys Waimanalo nursery for fire ants. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture says it is working with Pua Lani Landscape Design in Waimanalo to survey and treat little fire ants. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

More strategies mulled for feral pig conundrum. As the population of feral pigs on the Big Island continues to grow, county officials and residents are considering a wider range of solutions. Tribune-Herald.

Groundbreaking held for Waikoloa Village emergency route. State and county officials celebrated the launch of a private project Tuesday to construct an emergency route out of Waikoloa Village. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.

More details emerge after cockfight raid: 25 dead roosters, $20K in cash seized. Lehualani K. Kaleiwahea, 49, of Hilo, and her son, Isaac Dylan H. Ragasa-Kaleiwahea, 28, of Keaau were arrested and booked on suspicion of 29 counts of cruelty to animals, plus single counts of first- and second-degree promotion of gambling and first-degree possession of gambling records. Domonick Uchima, 37, of Kurtistown was arrested and booked on suspicion of second-degree promotion of gambling. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.  KITV4.

Maui

Council passes fiscal 2025 budget on first reading. The council met for the better part of the day in order to achieve the required passing of a budget. In total, the council entertained 18 bills and resolutions throughout the course of the meeting. Maui News. Maui Now.

Maui Care Flights to offer wildfire survivors free trips. Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday announced a new program, Maui Care Flights, to provide thousands of round-trip flights for Maui families affected by the Aug. 8 wildfires. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

A $2M gift to UH Maui College creates full scholarships for nursing students. A $2 million gift from the Gilbert and Aileen Chuck Foundation will provide full scholarships for nursing students in the University of Hawai’i Maui College starting this fall, according to a press release from the university. Maui News.

Luxury Housing Planned For South Maui Prompts Concerns Over Water, Traffic And Affordability. The $1.4 billion project envisions 975 high-end homes in and around the Wailea resort community that would cater to seasonal residents. Civil Beat.

Maui health center dealing with major tech issues, affecting thousands. A medical center on Maui is experiencing major computer problems that are affecting thousands of patients. Malama I Ke Ola Health Center shut down abruptly earlier this month blaming IT issues. Hawaii News Now.

Lahaina Business Owners Dive Into Busy Travel Season. Additional opportunities have arisen in recent weeks as they navigate a new normal after the Aug. 8 fires. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Hawaiian Host chocolate owners award four Kauaʻi students academic scholarships. The four Kauaʻi students were selected among a total of 59 recipients across the state, one from each of the qualifying public and independent school categories. Kauai Now.