Sylvia Luke may be mystery legislator in paper bag bribery scandal, immigrant protection bills advance, state mops up after wind gusts up to 60 mph, 20" of rain, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lieutenant governor says she may be the ‘influential state legislator’ referred to in federal case. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke says she didn’t take $35k but may be lawmaker behind months-long mystery. Luke said Monday amid the ongoing furor that she did not take $35,000 in a paper bag in front of state House colleague turned FBI informant Ty J.K. Cullen during a January 2022 dinner, but did accept $10,000 in checks for her campaign from two people whom Cullen introduced her to that night. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. 

Package of immigration protection bills passes out of first committee. State lawmakers are advancing a package of bills to increase immigration enforcement protections. The House Economic Development and Technology Committee advanced six measures on Friday — all of them providing more guardrails for immigration enforcement. Hawaii Public Radio.

Long-vacant state jobs with languishing funds on rise in Hawaii. The number of stagnant state job vacancies tying up taxpayer revenue jumped last year after flattening in 2024, expanding a pile of cash that some Hawaii lawmakers want to use for urgent needs amid looming budget uncertainties. There were 485 civil serv­ice positions unfilled for over four years as of Nov. 1, up from about 420 in each of the two preceding 12-month periods, according to a Jan. 8 report from the state Department of Human Resources Development. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers are discussing an “ambitious” proposal that would make public transportation free across Hawaiʻi. House Bill 2451 would require Hawaiʻi’s counties to implement “fare-free” access to their public transit systems. Hawaii Public Radio.

Bills To Address Dementia, Alzheimer’s Gain Traction At State Capitol. The legislation may be getting a boost by the revelation that a state senator is struggling with mental decline. Civil Beat.

Will Disaster Insurance Overhaul Increase Protections For Future Survivors? Hawaiʻi consumers would have additional protections folded into their insurance coverage after a disaster declaration if a bundle of new Senate bills introduced this session are codified into law. Civil Beat.

Pacific plays strategic role, Air Force official says. Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier wrapped up a tour of the Pacific last week that took him to Hawaii, South Korea and Japan as the service works out its strategy for the region.  Star-Advertiser.

State, county, schools reopen after weather shutdown. State and county offices, public schools and most government services across Hawaii are reopening today after widespread closures Monday due to severe weather, officials said. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

Power restored to more than 114,000 customers since Saturday. Hundreds of Hawaiian Electric employees and contractors have restored power across Oʻahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island to more than 27,300 customers since Sunday and and more than 114,000 customers since Saturday. Maui Now.

Oahu

Native Hawaiian-led productions anchor $10M push at Ko Olina. More than $10 million in investment tied to “Kaula Lu‘au” and related contracts is poised to deliver hundreds of jobs and multi- million‑dollars in work to Ko Olina, injecting new momentum into a resort district that has long fought to draw visitors — and their spending — to Oahu’s West Side. Star-Advertiser.

Dog attack leaves 11 sheep dead in West Oahu. A devastating dog attack at Ka’ala Farm in Waianae has decimated the farm’s sheep flock and dealt a major blow to wildfire prevention efforts. KHON2.

Oʻahu high school students protest ICE actions. Hundreds of high schoolers across Oʻahu gathered after school Friday to protest recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence. Hawaii Public Radio.

Damage reported across Oahu following severe weekend storm. Heavy rains flooded neighborhoods while fierce winds uprooted trees that stood for decades. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

‘Unreal’: Storm gusts rip roofs off Oahu homes, 12 displaced. Sunday’s whipping winds ripped roofs off 22 structures, the Honolulu Fire Department reported. One of the buildings with a blown roof was an apartment complex in Nanakuli along Helelua Street, leaving 12 people without a home. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiʻi Volcano: Neighborhoods Still Littered With Ash And Debris. The 41st episode of the Big Island’s latest eruption threw ash and tephra, a general word for volcanic debris, thousands of feet in the air and the Kona winds sent it as far as Hilo over 20 miles away. It is the first time a debris and ashfall like this has happened in over 1,000 years, said Don Swanson, a long-time geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Civil Beat.

Storm damage minimal for Big Island. Heavy rain fell in the Hamakua and North Hilo districts. For the 48-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Monday, a gauge above Laupahoehoe measured 20.48 inches, while Honokaa checked in with 19.3 inches. The Hawaiian Electric station on Ala Kahua Drive in Waimea clocked 60 mph gusts at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, while Kohala Ranch measured 59 mph winds. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

National Fight Over Immigration Enforcement Roils Maui County. County’s agreement with FBI provokes alarm among activists and, now, council members. The focus is Bill 92, a long-standing agreement between the Maui Police Department and the FBI that came up for renewal last year, which has suddenly prompted deep soul searching among County Council members. Civil Beat.

Maui County severe weather impacts — final update, Feb. 9.  All County of Maui offices on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, Feb. 10. The Olowalu Recycling and Refuse Convenience Center is set to reopen Tuesday, Feb. 10. County parks will be inspected early Tuesday by County crews before reopening Tuesday, Feb. 10. Maui Now.

Kauai

US Rep. Jill Tokuda meets with Kauaʻi residents to address local, national concerns. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda visited Līhuʻe on Saturday to meet with residents and hear their questions and concerns about a variety of issues, including Immigration & Customs Enforcement operations, rising costs for farmers and accountability in Washington. Kauai Now.

Flood advisory upgraded to flash flood warning; allowed to expire early today. The National Weather Service upgraded the flood advisory previously in effect for Kaua’i to a flash flood warning because of heavy rains happening over the island. Kauai Now.