Critic Of High Costs Of Tiny House Villages Quits Top Homelessness Post. The head of Hawaiʻi’s homelessness program, who publicly criticized excessive operating costs of some state-funded tiny home villages, has stepped down as the director of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions. Former homeless director John Mizuno will become a special advisor in Gov. Josh Green’s administration. Civil Beat. Spectrum News.
Lifeline considered for Hawaii nonprofits. Hawaii lawmakers are considering a contingency plan to help fund nonprofit organization operations facing federal funding cuts. SB 933 would set aside one-time, non-recurring grants within the state budget to support essential services across the nonprofit sector. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.
State Is Scrambling To Fix SNAP Food Program Following $11M Fine For Errors. Hawaiʻi hopes the federal government will waive half of the penalty if the state invests more than $5 million in new technology. Civil Beat.
Converting fallow land into agroforests could counteract carbon emissions. Hawaiʻi’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 has a team of local and Native Hawaiian researchers cultivating new solutions. They mapped unmanaged, fallow agricultural land around the state and found that if all the land was converted into agroforests, it would counteract the carbon emissions of 100 million barrels of oil. Hawaii Public Radio.
Oahu
Home subsidy purchase program expands. Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program run by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. has been expanded to city workers in additional job categories. Star-Advertiser.
Honolulu Launches Its Own Effort To Hire Federal Workers. The mayor’s announcement comes a little more than a week after the governor launched a similar effort on the state level. Like the state of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu says it will streamline hiring for these workers. That includes waiving certain unnamed city hiring requirements for a 12-month period, according to the press release. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.
Oʻahu Public Housing Tenants Promised Relocation Help Hit Dead-Ends. Kūhiō Park Terrace residents have been left angry and bewildered as Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority moves to relocate them so their homes can be torn down. Civil Beat.
Dismantling Haʻikū Stairs Is Urgent Safety Issue, City Says In Court Filing. Providing security to keep hikers away has proved costly and leaving the stairs partially in place is a safety hazard, the city said in a court filing Wednesday. Civil Beat.
Kamehameha Schools Kapalama receives 3 threats. The Honolulu Police Department opened three felony investigations after a series of anonymous threats of violence at the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus prompted school officials to notify parents, faculty and staff. Star-Advertiser.
Groups to provide ‘one-stop shop’ for immigrant-crackdown concerns. In the wake of the federal crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Filipino Community Center (FilCom) will host a citizenship outreach Saturday to provide legal and informational resources to all, regardless of immigration status or ethnic background. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Island
Hawaiian Homes Commission Greenlights New Hilo Power Plant. The Alahao renewable energy project, proposed for a 12-acre plot in Panaʻewa near Railroad Avenue, would burn diesel produced from plant oils. Hawaiʻi Land & Power, the project developer, said it would cost $250 million with funding from Lotus Infrastructure, an investment firm based in Connecticut. Civil Beat.
General Plan meetings are wrapping up. Janice Hata, long-range planner with the county Planning Department, presented last week a variety of potential policies and actions to help diversify the county’s economy, balancing tourism with agricultural development. Tribune-Herald.
Green receives list of nominees for Big Island judgeship. The state Judicial Selection Committee has sent four nominees to Gov. Josh Green to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Kona Circuit Judge Robert D.S. Kim in July 2024. Tribune-Herald.
Kona coffee industry hit by funding freeze and USDA layoffs at 'existential moment'. The Kona Coffee Farmers Association held its annual symposium Tuesday on Hawaiʻi Island. The coffee was delicious, per usual, but the day's agenda was a stark reminder of the many hurdles facing local farmers who grow the beans for Kona's beloved brews. Hawaii Public Radio.
Maui
Bissen administration explains years-long delay in homeless overnight parking program. More than two years after Maui County Council members unanimously approved a bill to allow homeless people to sleep in their cars in county parking lots, a pilot program has yet to be implemented, even after the J. Walter Cameron Center’s parking lot was initially identified as an appropriate location in the fall of 2022. Maui Now.
Commission supports food product trucks, trailers on farm land. The Maui Planning Commission has recommended expanding agricultural farm activities on the Valley Isle to include mobile food trucks and trailers after hearing testimonies from farmers about how the county Planning Department first allowed the activity but then decided to shut down the operation. Maui News.
Three major gym renovations on Maui leave sports teams with less space. The projects include the $28.5 million overhaul of War Memorial Gym, the $3.7 million upgrade of the Lahaina Civic Center and the $2.6 million repairs to the Lahainaluna gym. Maui Now.
‘Purely vindictive’: Maui man freed from prison thanks to DNA technology called back to court. Three days after Gordon Cordeiro walked out of prison for the first time in 31 years, the Maui County prosecuting attorney’s office filed a motion seeking a bail hearing. Hawaii News Now.
Lahaina fire survivors beg government leaders for more help. Billions of dollars in federal aid have been allotted to Maui for disaster recovery and economic development. But Lahaina fire survivors fear that the Trump Administration may stall the money. Hawaii News Now.
Kauai
Officials kick off Kōloa Road Bridge, Kīpū Bridge repair projects with blessing. Repairs on Kōloa Road Bridge begin toward the end of next week, with work on Kīpū Bridge to start after their completion. Kauai Now.
Okinawan lifeguards complete inaugural Lifeguard Exchange Program with Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau. Nine lifeguards from Okinawa, Japan, underwent a series of hands-on training sessions from Feb. 17-21 at various key locations around Kaua‘i, each offering unique challenges for ocean rescues, as part of the inaugural Lifeguard Exchange Program. Kauai Now.
UH baseball team overpowers UC Davis
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Dominating all phases, the Hawaii baseball team overpowered UC Davis 16-0
today at Les Murakami Stadium.