Federal shutdown cost state less than expected, Hawaii ranks high for senior health, Honolulu council passes immigrant rights measure, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi Is A Great Place To Grow Old — But Only For Some. The high percentage of kūpuna who exercise regularly — along with Hawaiʻi’s good air and water quality and comparatively low rates of depression —  help make the state one of the healthiest places in the nation for seniors, according to a report from the United Health Foundation.  Civil Beat.

State funding during shutdown less than expected. Hawaii stepped in to provide a financial and food assistance lifeline during the record-long federal government shutdown and now expects to end up paying far less in state funds than expected. Star-Advertiser.

Ethics panel fines state Senator Brenton Awa. An ethics panel has reprimanded and fined state Sen. Brenton Awa for using state resources to encourage voters to elect his former office manager to the Legislature. Star-Advertiser.

Why Hawai’i Tenants Can Be Left Out To Dry By The State. Policymakers say it’s time to reassess a decades-old law that leaves the state’s consumer watchdog agency without teeth to protect tenants. Civil Beat.

Could Hawaiʻi's Japanese visitor market be making a comeback?  Visitors from Japan were up 16% in October — the second month in a row of solid growth — and visitor spending from Japan was up as well. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii ranks fifth nationally in early FAFSA filing. Hawaii high school seniors are filing for federal financial aid at one of the highest rates in the nation, according to new data released by the National College Attainment Network. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council OKs ‘constitutional rights’ measure. The Honolulu City Council is urging Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration to affirm the constitutional rights of all Oahu residents regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Star-Advertiser.

Council Member Accuses Mayor’s Administration Of Coercion Over Housing Vote. Council member Val Okimoto said a “senior administration official” threatened to withhold funding to her district, but she won’t say who did it. Civil Beat.

High stakes at Honolulu Hale: Who will lead Ocean Safety for the next 5 years? A packed room filled with current and former lifeguards, community members and city leaders, leaning in on the Ocean Safety Commission’s most important task in front of them – selecting a chief who will lead the brand new department for the next five years. KHON2.

Police shut down gambling operation in Ewa Beach. The gambling bust took place at a business located near Old Fort Weaver Road at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Honolulu Police Department officers from the Narcotics Vice Division executed a search warrant in which 18 gambling machines worth an estimated value of $155,000, along with $5,037 in cash were seized. KITV4.

Erosion fears prompt removal of 12 ironwood trees at Kailua Beach. Ironwood trees have been part of the Kailua Bay shoreline for years. But more and more of them are becoming casualties as the ocean eats away at the sand that’s beneath them. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Bond revoked for Hilo attorney Sulla. U.S. District Chief Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield on Thursday found probable cause that Paul Sulla engaged in the unauthorized practice of law while free on bond, after being ordered to cease practice by the Hawaii Supreme Court on July 29. Tribune-Herald.

$1.9 Million Awarded For Puapuaʻa Iki Habitat Restoration. The project will restore 11.5 acres of coastal land and provide shoreline stabilization while protecting historic infrastructure on the site. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Maui

Maui Emergency Management Agency wraps up work on monthslong wildfire risk reduction project. A wildfire risk-reduction project on county-owned land in West Maui led to the removal of 123 vehicles, more than 1,200 tires, 10 drums of oil, at least two pieces of heavy equipment and other debris. Maui News. Maui Now.

Bookkeeper’s ‘Miracle’ House listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Pioneer Mill Company/Lahaina Ice Company (PMCo/LICo) Bookkeeper’s House in Lahaina, more recently dubbed the “Miracle House” after the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  Maui Now. KHON2.

Lahaina fire-ravaged neighborhood to get new sewer system. The Environmental Protection Agency says it is almost finished designing the system to replace the cesspools or septic systems now used by 231 single-family properties. Hawaii News Now.

Pacific Whale Foundation removes more than 12,000 pounds of marine debris in 2025. The Pacific Whale Foundation, the designated Marine Debris Rapid Response partner for Maui Nui, is reporting more progress in its ongoing effort to remove harmful debris from local waters. Maui Now.

Kauai

Līhuʻe and Kapaʻa DMV offices to close for staff training next week. The Kaua‘i Division of Motor Vehicles will close its main Līhu‘e office and the recently opened Kapa‘a satellite location next week to allow for staff training, county officials announced. Both offices are scheduled to close on Wednesday, Dec. 10, and resume normal operations on Dec. 11. Kauai Now.

Kauai RSVP volunteers recognized, celebrated during annual luncheon. The Thursday gathering of more than 250 people at the Koloa Landing Resort came down to honoring and recognizing the volunteer time put forth by members of Kauai Retired &Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), an Americorps Seniors affiliate, and other community volunteers. Garden Island.