Hawaii under fire weather watch, measles found in Kauai wastewater, state to aid SNAP recipients, film industry shrinks, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Forecasters issue fire weather watch for Hawaii due to low humidity, high winds. The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for all Hawaii islands from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon as high winds, dry brush and low humidity increase the threat that any wildfire could spread quickly.  Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii set to offer aid for SNAP families as federal shutdown threatens to disrupt food stamp program. On Nov. 1, people who rely on food stamps may find their EBT cards no longer working if Congress doesn’t reopen the government by the end of the month. That would leave about 85,000 households in Hawaii scrambling to put food on the table. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii film industry shrunk 80% since pandemic, hope on the horizon. Hawaii’s film industry has been struggling since the pandemic and has seen a massive reduction in locally-produced projects, but lawmakers and those in the industry said they are working on solutions to encourage more opportunities. KHON2.

Hawaiʻi Balked At Natural Gas. Now, It Could Lower Energy Bills. Critics say an agreement between the state and a Japanese energy firm lacks details and could bind Hawaiʻi to using fossil fuel to produce electricity. Civil Beat.

Trump’s drug war using the military has come to the Pacific. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike took place in the “Eastern Pacific” without further details, but the New York Times reported that the strike took place near Colombia’s Pacific Coast.  Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Will New Bonuses Keep Honolulu’s 911 Staff On The Job? The dispatchers will get from $500 to $2,000 extra per month depending on their job. Some say that’s welcome but more needs to be done to address concerns about working conditions. Civil Beat.

Dole St. main break floods properties; BWS requests water conservation in area. Crews continue to respond to a 20-inch water transmission main break for a second day on Dole Street, fronting Kanewai Community Park near the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Star-Advertiser.

Suspect in officer’s shooting, Kapahulu barricade is felon from Kauai. Robert Melvin Morris s in custody at the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu after his 15-hour standoff with Honolulu Police Department officers, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Sheriff’s deputies ended in surrender just before 1 a.m. Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  KHON2. KITV4.

Judge allows trial to move forward in Kakaako road rage case. An Oahu Circuit Court judge wasted no time in setting a trial date for California serial road rage offender Nathaniel Radimak, who was denied use of an insanity defense in his alleged attack against an 18-year-old driver and her 35-year-old mother in Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

State admits Pohoiki Boat Ramp dredging effort has failed. Despite months of dredging work to reopen the Pohoiki Boat Ramp, the entrance channel has again filled with volcanic debris and sand, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources confirmed. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Hawaii News Now.

Fire Weather Watch Issued For Parts Of Hawaiʻi Island. Dry and windy conditions will develop by the end of the week, producing fire weather conditions across portions of the Big Island. Big Island Video News.

One dead, one missing after hotel blaze in Hilo. At about 2 a.m., police officers and firefighters responded to the blaze at the Wild Ginger Hotel on the 100 block of Puueo Street. The structure was engulfed in flames upon arrival, with parts of the building already collapsed, according to the Hawaii Police Department.  Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.  KITV4. 

Progress made in effort to restore Ka‘u estuary. A draft environmental assessment filed with the state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development in September advances Ka‘u wetland restoration that has been almost 20 years in the making. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

New Maui Ethics Board Rules Silence Citizens With Pending Complaints. The Maui Board of Ethics unanimously approved sweeping new rule changes Wednesday, including what several members of the public described as a gag order against anyone who files an ethics complaint against a county employee or elected official. Civil Beat.

Mayor Bissen urges Council to pass Bill 9, citing need to restore housing balance. Mayor Richard Bissen urged Maui County Council members to pass Bill 9, which would phase out apartment district properties operating as transient vacation rentals, arguing the move is critical to addressing direly needed long-term housing for residents. Maui Now.

Maui Gold Pineapple wants to ramp up to full production, but deer and drought stand in the way. Hungry wild deer and pigs have been wreaking havoc on about 20 acres of the Hāli‘imaile pineapple farm. Maui Now.

The Sentry at Kapalua gets canceled instead of going to another course. The PGA Tour is canceling its season opener at The Sentry instead of finding a replacement course for water-deprived Kapalua on Maui, the first time a tournament has been canceled since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Associated Press.

Kauai

DOH finds measles in Kauai wastewater, no cases reported.  Officials said the sample was collected on Sept. 24 from a site in East Kauai County, and that DOH was notified of the result on Oct. 20. Star-Advertiser. Kauai Now.  KITV4.

Public invited to comment on the top road safety concerns. The Planning Department has created an online survey for the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which will identify ways to improve road safety and work toward the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries for all road users. Kauai Now.

Nonprofit North Shore Give delivers ultrasound machine to Kauaʻi’s rural urgent care. With no hospitals and only one urgent care clinic on Kauaʻi’s remote North Shore, residents have long faced challenges in accessing timely medical imaging and specialized care. Kauai Now.