Hawaii expects slow summer tourist season; new law allows open carry of switchblades, butterfly knives; $100M Benioff donation aids Straub expansion, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Rosy U.S. summer travel forecast excludes Hawaii. U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials say they are preparing for the highest passenger volumes ever seen at airport security checkpoints nationwide during the peak summer travel season, which begins Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day. Jack Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, said summer bookings to Hawaii are still down 28% from 2023. Keith Vieira, principal of KV &Associates, Hospitality Consulting, estimates that hotel bookings to Hawaii for summer are down about 10% to 12% compared with last summer. Star-Advertiser.

Environmental Working Group’s Fire-Related Recommendations Die In Legislature. Bills to provide funding for long-term air and water quality monitoring failed to pass as a new study cites growing health concerns from the fires. Civil Beat.

Amid mounting legal challenges, Hawaii allows open carry of formerly banned blades. As of Monday, it is no longer illegal in Hawaii to carry a dangerous weapon in public — and switchblade and butterfly knives are no longer banned. The governor signed HB 2342 into law Monday without fanfare, making it immediately legal to openly carry weapons that were banned in public until now. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate in April remains steady at 3.1%. Hawaii’s unemployment rate held at 3.1% in April for the fourth consecutive month even as nonagricultural jobs decreased by 1,500 from March. By comparison, the national jobless rate rose to 3.9% from 3.8%. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council OKs stand-alone Ocean Safety Department. The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the city’s Resolution 103, which seeks an executive action to quickly create a new public-safety sector. Currently, the city Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division is under the larger Honolulu Emergency Services Department. Star-Advertiser.

Jury deliberating fate of ex-city Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, campaign donors in bribery trial. Jury deliberations are now underway in the public corruption trial of former Honolulu prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and five campaign donors. Hawaii News Now.

Spate of heavy rains prompts increased scrutiny of Oahu dams, reservoirs. Records show there are a total of 13 dams and reservoirs on Oahu. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  Star-Advertiser.

Benefactor Marc Benioff lauds Straub expansion as ‘new beginning’. The Benioffs' $100 million gift is considered the largest donation to Hawaii Pacific Health, which operates Straub, and together with the $50 million donation to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, is considered one of the largest single private donations in Hawaii history. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

200 surveillance cameras to be installed in downtown Pāhoa. The Hawai‘i County Council on Wednesday voted 9-0 to adopt Resolution 487, which grants $65,000 in county geothermal relocation and community benefits funds through the Hawai‘i County Planning Department to the Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum for the purchase, installation and maintenance of 25 surveillance systems, each consisting of 8 cameras, in downtown Pāhoa. Big Island Now.

New Signage At Mauna Kea Park Honors Legacy Of Gilbert Kahele. Hawaiʻi County officials and the Kahele ʻohana marked the occasion on what would have been the late-senator's 82nd birthday. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Council Committee advances bill to allow more space for secondary farm dwellings. The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 8-1 Wednesday to recommend passage of a bill to allow a 500-square-foot increase in the size of secondary farm dwellings in agricultural districts on Maui and Lānaʻi. Maui Now.

Maui Wildfire Insurance Losses Estimated At $3 Billion So Far. The first wildfire case to be heard by a Maui jury is to be determined by a coin toss next week. Civil Beat.

Study shows almost 75% of Maui wildfire survey participants have respiratory issues. A University of Hawaiʻi study examining the health effects of last year's deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised lung function. Associated Press. Maui News.

Maui April unemployment rate drops to 4.3%. The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Maui Island was 4.3% in April 2024, compared to 4.9% the previous month, and 2.6% at the same time in 2023. Maui Now.

Kauai

Heavy rains result in high bacteria levels at 8 beaches, streams. Eight of 18 sites tested for water quality monthly were found with high bacteria amounts in May. Kauai Now.

UH farmer training program holding open house on Kauaʻi. A University of Hawai’i beginner farmer training program is hosting an open house at its Kauaʻi site on June 1 and is encouraging interested participants to register.  Kauai Now.