Advocates seek more transparency with change of House leadership, child welfare, prison system need help, snake found in Christmas tree shipment, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Advocacy groups seek to change how bills move through the House. The state House of Representatives has a new leadership team with Rep. Nadine Nakamura becoming the new speaker of the House. Because of the changes, advocacy groups are expanding efforts to change the rules in the House that they say will increase transparency. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii’s Child Welfare System Needs Major Reform, Report Says. A panel created to propose reforms to Hawaii’s child welfare system has described an array of troubling defects in the system, and its draft report calls for a surge in government support for disadvantaged families so fewer children will be removed from their homes. Civil Beat.

‘Inmates are running the facility’ prison sources warn public safety is at risk. The climate inside Hawaii’s correctional facilities is at a tipping point with inmates running the show and guards overworked and underpaid.  KHON2.

Top booster cuts university funding over athletics director Craig Angelos' ouster. Longtime UH supporter and businessman Mike Kawazoe founded the Rainbow Collective in April of last year as a way to raise funds for the department and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money for student-athletes.  Hawaii News Now.

New Feral Cat Colony Map Could Save Hawaii’s Native Birds — But It’s Secret. The crowd-sourced map, which hasn't been made public yet, is bound to rankle many locals who regularly feed and care for free-roaming cats. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Appoints New Housing Director. Kevin Auger became the Honolulu Office of Housing’s executive director this week, stepping up from his prior role as deputy director to lead the city’s efforts to acquire, build and preserve more housing as many residents struggle with high prices. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Home Lands pursues Royal Kunia housing plan. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to buy 211 acres approved for housing in Kunia for about $60 million from developer Haseko (Hawaii) Inc. with a preliminary development agreement to produce 1,200 residential lots for beneficiaries, including 500 lots in an initial increment where infrastructure already exists. Star-Advertiser.

City considers task force to explore merger of fire, emergency services. Staff shortages at Honolulu Emergency Medical Services are once again bringing up the idea of a merger with the Honolulu Fire Department. A resolution to study and create a plan passed the Honolulu City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

West Side crackdown is reducing crime. Crime is down on the West Side during the three months since a spate of deadly shootings prompted county, state and federal officials to inundate the Waianae coast with law enforcement. Star-Advertiser.

911 outage caused by Hawaiian Telcom equipment issue. Hawaiian Telcom confirmed Wednesday that equipment failure caused Sunday’s 911 outage on Oahu. Most cell phones were blocked from reaching police dispatchers for about four hours. Hawaii News Now.

City plan to remove changing areas in Waimanalo Beach Park draws criticism. At Waimanalo Beach Park, the city plans to demolish two rundown comfort stations as part of a multimillion-dollar renovation project and install new prefabricated structures with individual, unisex bathroom stalls. The change would eliminate separate changing areas for men and women. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

New Mayor, Council To Be Sworn-In On December 2nd In Kona.  Mayor-elect Kimo Alameda, Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen, and the newly elected County Council will take part in the inauguration event. Big Island Video News.

Thumbs down for Kona Vistas. A 10-year extension for a controversial West Hawaii housing development to complete construction has once again been rejected, this time by the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday. Tribune-Herald.

More than $1.2M in PONC funds awarded to nonprofits. The county’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission identifies lands around the county worthy of preservation and recommends grant funding to nonprofits to continue to steward those parcels. Tribune-Herald.

Live snake found in container of Christmas trees in Hilo.  State officials say a live snake was found in a container of Christmas trees as it was being unloaded for a store in Hilo over the weekend. HDOA has identified the 2-foot-long reptile as a non-venomous gopher snake. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

Maui

Federal Officials Pressed On Maui Recovery Efforts. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz took part in the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on national disaster needs. Big Island Video News.

Lawsuit filed to change Maui’s street lighting citing its effect on endangered birds. Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Honolulu against Maui County and Hawaiian Electric to change the kind of street lighting on the Valley Isle that allegedly impairs the navigation of three bird species. Maui News. KITV4.

Survey asks children’s preference for rebuilding King Kamehameha III Elementary while focusing on 2 sites. Civic engagement in Lahaina remained strong Tuesday evening, with about 100 community members and staff gathering to discuss potential sites for King Kamehameha III Elementary School’s permanent location. Maui News. Maui Now.

Maui Invitational Returns To Lahaina As Post-Fire Emotions Are Still Raw. Many residents are excited about the economic boost the tournament will bring. But concerns also are high that visitors might show disrespect. Associated Press.

Kauai

Kapa‘a Swimming Pool to be temporarily closed in December. The Kaua‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation announced that Kapa‘a Swimming Pool will be shuttered from Dec. 1-16 so contractor Pacific Concrete, Cutting & Coring can repair the pool’s concrete deck. Kauai Now.

Kamala Harris, husband vacationing on Big Island, UH-Manoa athletic director ousted, Common Cause seeks federal probe into handling of Maui wildfire remains, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kamala Harris, husband to vacation on Big Island for a week. Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost her bid for president, was expected to arrive in Hawaii late Tuesday for a nearly weeklong stay, along with second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. Washington Examiner.

Safer Buildings Vs More Housing: How New Building Codes May Impact Hawaii. The governor’s office is now moving to fast-track adoption of new codes and bring Hawaii into compliance with the latest national building standards as the state and counties have struggled to keep up with the pace of change. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s Love Affair With Cesspools Is Ruining Its Reefs. Reefs are paying the price for new housing developments — and state marine protection alone can’t stop human waste from speeding up their demise. Civil Beat.

Meadow Gold announces layoffs due to closure of warehouses, distribution. In a statement, the company said it will partner with Hawaii Foodservice Alliance to manage warehousing and distribution for retail, schools and frozen products, and with Pacific Provisions Hawaii to manage distribution for food service accounts. Star-Advertiser.

DA BUX gets big bucks from USDA. Hawai‘i’s DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks, a statewide program operated by The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s Food Bank, is getting big bucks from the federal government to continue helping low-income households throughout the islands eat healthier and local farmers grow the produce to put on their tables. Big Island Now.

Oahu

Honolulu Rail Supporters Worry About Funding Under Trump Administration. The city is counting on another $600 million from the Federal Transit Administration to help pay for rail construction to Kakaako. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Council urges state to stem street gang violence. Resolution 275 is meant to push lawmakers to address street gangs and potentially establish sentencing enhancements for people convicted of criminal acts related to organized gangs. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Teacher housing project in limbo after proposed site stirs community concerns. An idea to entice and retain teachers to work in Hawaii is stirring some hesitation from a Central Oahu community. While many support the idea, they’re calling on developers to rethink its location. Hawaii News Now.

UH-Manoa athletic director Angelos is ‘blindsided’ by his ouster.  University of Hawaii athletic director Craig Angelos will receive three months of salary as part of the severance package. That amounts to $87,000 based on his annual salary of $348,000. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiʻi Police Department has new home on the internet. The department launched a redesigned website Nov. 12 after a year in the making. It’s the first time since 2011 that the site has been updated. Big Island Now.

Maui

Wahikuli sewer system update to be provided at Wednesday Disaster Recovery Community Meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Disaster Recovery Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. Maui Now.

Maui Bus operations at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center ends; New Kahului Transit Hub on Vevau Street blessed. The Maui Bus schedule that takes effect Nov. 20 is available on the County of Maui website at www.mauicounty.gov/bus under “Bus Route Updates.” Maui Now.

Maui Landfill: $4M Deal Is A Step Toward A Permanent Home For Fire Debris. Maui County has agreed to pay $4 million for roughly 79 acres in central Maui to be used as a permanent disposal site for the debris from last year’s deadly wildfires plus provide for a future landfill expansion. Civil Beat. Maui News.  Maui Now.

Why It’s Hard For Disaster Survivors To Rebuild Safer, Sustainable Homes. Misperceptions about up-front costs have played a big role in how Maui and other communities recover after major disasters. Civil Beat.

National watchdog calls for federal probe into Maui police’s handling of remains following Lahaina fire. Common Cause, a national watchdog for government transparency is expressing deep concern over revelations about the Maui Police Department’s handling of human remains following the Lahaina disaster. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Holland, Kaneshiro join Kauai County Council. A tight battle for the final seat on the Kauai County Council ended with a newcomer knocking off an incumbent to join the seven-member governing body on Wednesday. Garden Island.

County anticipates rubbish collection delays through early next year. Longer haul times for residential rubbish to the Kekaha Landfill will likely cause delays with home collections through early next year. Kauai Now. KHON2.