Army wants land deals inked this year, police union wants voice in Honolulu chief selection, Kauai seeks more fire-resistant plantation camps, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Army Secretary Wants Deal On Hawaiʻi Training Lands By End Of 2025. On Thursday, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll sent Gov. Josh Green’s office a letter calling on the state to move fast on negotiations to continue the Army’s access to thousands of acres of training lands on Oʻahu and the Big Island.  Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.  Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.  KHON2. 

Oahu

First piece of Kapolei West community draws closer to start. A Honolulu City Council committee endorsed a plan to build 750 affordable rental apartments in Kapolei on Thursday despite grievances over a new state law aiming to compel county approval for subsidized affordable-housing projects recommended by a state agency. Star-Advertiser.

East Honolulu’s Last Undeveloped Valley Faces Uncertain Fate. Kamehameha Schools has yet to release its plan for Kamilonui Valley. But the school’s history of development in the area is stoking fears about what will happen to Hawaiʻi Kai’s last farmlands. Civil Beat.

Police officers want voice when it comes to new police chief. The Honolulu police commission says it could take seven months to find a new police chief using a professional hiring firm. KHON2. Hawaii News Now. 

Arson investigation opened as latest Kunia fire burns 15 acres of sugar cane. Other farms spared from major damage. The latest — and largest — of the recent Kunia brush fires destroyed 15 acres of sugar cane, but it appears that the wind directed the fire away from other farms in the area. Hawaii Public radio. Hawaii News Now. 

Hawaii Island

New county property tax credits in the works. Bill 38 proposes a one-time tax credit of up to $1,000 for property owners who install solar water heaters on qualifying dwellings and introduces a new credit of up to $250 for residents who contribute to private roadway maintenance. Tribune-Herald.

Puna Geothermal Venture moves forward with long-awaited upgrades. Puna Geothermal Venture is moving ahead with a project to boost its renewable energy production after receiving long-awaited approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. Hawaii News Now.

HPD’s temporary morgue now operational. The morgue was built in 1984, and because of population increases and the police’s function as coroner, its occupancy often was strained beyond its capacity of 16 bodies. Tribune-Herald.

Hawai‘i Community College butchery program graduates second cohort. One of Hawai‘i Community College’s newest programs, whole-animal butchery, will once again be open for enrollment starting Aug. 29. Big Island Now.

Maui

Council panel moves ahead with Kahului housing project, sparks debate over water availability. A unanimous vote by the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee to advance an affordable housing project in Kahului drew criticism Wednesday from West Maui Council Member Tamara Paltin. Maui Now.

Maui police officer fatally shot in Paia was ambushed.  The 37-year-old Maui Police Department officer ambushed and killed Friday night was one of a half-dozen officers who responded to the Paia Sugar Mill after the caretaker reported a man was trespassing and shooting at him. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2. 

Maui police release bodycam footage in deadly, officer-involved shooting. The Maui Police Department Thursday released bodycam footage from a shooting last Friday that resulted in the death of an officer. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Kauai

A Kauaʻi bill seeks to make plantation camps like Kaumakani more fire-resilient. The bill would require new construction in these plantation camps to follow updated building standards. Hawaii Public Radio.

Waimea Public Library turned 75 with special birthday party. Waimea Public Library is celebrating 75 years of public service. Kauai Now.