COVID cases ticking upward, environmental lawyers, Trump officials meet in court over commercial fishing rules, Maui study finds lingering wildfire trauma, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

COVID-19 cases in Hawaii still on upward trend this summer. The Hawaii Department of Health on Wednesday reported a statewide test positivity rate of 16.1% on its COVID dashboard, up from 14.3% last week. The prior week, it was at 12.0%. Ideally, the rate would be much lower — below 5.0% — which is where it was during most of this year. Star-Advertiser.

Health Department offering free courses on medical cannabis for healthcare providers. The state Department of Health is offering free courses to a limited number of licensed healthcare providers on the clinical application of medical cannabis. This comes after the governor signed a new law giving more leeway for physicians sand some nurses to decide which patients could benefit from the drug. Twenty-five years after Hawaii legalized medical marijuana, the state says 30,000 patients are currently registered to buy the drug from one of 24 regulated dispensary locations statewide. Hawaii News Now.

EPA plans to claw back $62M awarded to Hawaiʻi for solar projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning to end a major source of funding for state-level solar programs, which could jeopardize several community solar projects in Hawaiʻi. The EPA's "Solar for All" program has awarded $7 billion in federal grants to help low- and moderate-income households access solar. Hawaii Public Radio.

Environmental lawyers, Trump officials meet in court over fishing in Pacific monument. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in April to open the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument  to commercial fishing but environmental lawyers in a legal battle to stop the fishing say a formal process, which includes public hearings, is required first. Hawaii Public Radio.

HIDOE names new deputy superintendent for operations, assistant superintendent. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education has appointed two senior leaders to strengthen operations and student services across the public school system. Maui Now.

Tropical Storm Henriette Update. Tropical Storm Henriette is 1,555 miles east of Hilo, and moving west at 16 mph. The cyclone is expected to take a northward turn in the next couple of days, keeping the center well to the north of the Hawaiian islands. Big Island Video News.

Oahu

Media access to HPD radio channels receives pushback. The Council voted 8-1, with Val Okimoto dissenting, to advance Bill 46 on its second of three readings. Routine radio communications by Honolulu police and firefighters became off-limits to news organizations and the general public in 2022 when a $15 million system that encrypts the frequencies used by nine city departments went into effect. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Police Union Members Want Next Chief To Come From Within HPD. Union members who responded to a survey conducted in July also stressed they want someone with patrol experience who will focus on staffing the front line. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Haleiwa housing project stalls after lawmakers defer action on key measure. More than 800 people submitted testimony against Bill 37, which would rezone some land in Haleiwa from agricultural to urban.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Oahu housing market shows softening in July. Single-family home sales in July were down 7.4% at 249 sales compared with 269 a year ago, while condo sales held steady at 389, according to a report released Wednesday from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Star-Advertiser.

Military explains why roaring fighter jets woke residents at 3 a.m. U.S. Air Force officials confirmed several fighter jets took off from Hickam Air Force Base on Monday and Tuesday for a department-level training exercise. Hawaii News Now.

Man, ex-wife sentenced in $29M ‘Semisub’ scam. The 72-year-old man who teamed with his then-wife to con investors out of more than $29 million for a prototype tour ship before trying to sail away from prosecution was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Mayor vetoes bill regarding roadside soliciting. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda announced Wednesday that he has vetoed County Council Bill 59 on July 31, a rare move that challenges a recently passed ordinance regulating pedestrian behavior near roadways. Tribune-Herald.

Bill banning the feeding of feral animals on county property passes. The Hawaii County Council, by a vote of 6-2 with one absent, on Wednesday approved the second and final reading of a measure that would ban the feeding of feral or stray animals such as cats and pigs on county property. Tribune-Herald.

North Kohala Told To Use Water For “Essential Needs Only”.  With only one working well serving the area, high water usage is causing customers to have no water or low water pressure. Big Island Video News.

Episode 30 pau after nearly 12 hours of lava fountains, flows, including from new fissure in south Halemaʻumaʻu. After almost 12 hours of continuous lava fountaining — that included a new fissure vent that transected the south wall of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater and erupted for about 3 hours and 20 minutes early this morning — Episode 30 of the ongoing episodic eruption in southern part of Kaluapele, the summit caldera, at Kīlauea volcano confined within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island ended abruptly at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday. Big Island Now.

Maui

By the numbers: Maui recovery inches forward 2 years after fires. Two years after the wildfires that devastated Lahaina and parts of Kula, Maui’s recovery story is still being written—one of slow progress, uneven outcomes and resilience being tested. Maui Now.

Maui fires triggered suicides, overdose deaths. Suicides and overdose deaths skyrocketed 97% on Maui immediately after the August 2023 wildfires and simultaneously increased 46% statewide, presumably from survivors who moved away from Maui or possibly from grieving family and friends with Maui roots, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now.

Commercial rebuilds lag in the heart of Lahaina. While new construction dots the landscape across Lahaina, the area along Front Street remains a long way from recovery from the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire. Maui News.

Lahaina Fire Survivors Make A Home Without A House. Kuhua Camp had the highest concentration of wildfire deaths. The plight of this homeowner shows the challenges of rebuilding two years after the blaze. Civil Beat.

Rebuilding a burned Kula home brings both construction challenges and mixed emotions. More than 20 homes burned two years ago in Kula. According to Maui County, four have been rebuilt so far. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau looks to rebuild tourism and boost Maui's economy. This past legislative session, lawmakers set aside $6 million to market Maui as a tourism destination. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Kauai Police Department, dignitaries break ground for a new KPAL complex. The Kauai Police Department, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, and other dignitaries on Wednesday broke ground on the construction of a new Kauai Police Activities League Sports Complex adjacent to the Vidinha Stadium, where renovation work is being carried out. Garden Island.

Kauaʻi collects 3,000 pounds of food during Saturday drive, but falls short of last year’s donations. Volunteers were stationed at eight sites across Kauaʻi on Saturday, collecting in six hours a combined 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food, with a majority of it rice, and monetary donations. Kauai Now.