Housing chief resigning, alleging personal attacks from BJ Penn and others, Honolulu council mixed on flavored tobacco, shopping cart bans, Green to update progress one month into Lahaina fire disaster, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

After housing chief’s resignation, governor calls personal attacks against her ‘despicable’. Housing chief Nani Medeiros’ resignation raises questions about future of Green’s panel. Medeiros — who has been disparaged, sued and criticized in her 10 months on the job — plans to resign, citing recent threats to her and her family. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

Hurricane Jova weakens slightly as it continues tracking westward in the East Pacific. The National Hurricane Center said at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jova had maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour with higher gusts. Hawaii News Now. Star-Advertiser.

State epidemiologist warns of high COVID-19 rates, forecasts new vaccine in coming weeks. State epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said the state's COVID-19 positivity ratings jumped from 8% in July to more than 15% this month. Hawaii Public Radio.

Gov. Josh Green to update the public today about the deadly Maui fires. Today marks one month since the deadly firestorm that destroyed most of the historic Maui town of Lahaina, killing at least 115 people. Star-Advertiser.

Green says improved response in Lahaina could have saved lives as key questions remain unanswered. One month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, basic questions about the government’s preparation and response to the blaze that destroyed Lahaina remain unanswered — as the painstaking task of identifying remains continues. Hawaii News Now.

Hirono delivers remarks on Senate floor, marking one month since Maui wildfires. US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) delivered remarks on the Senate floor marking one month since wildfires tore through Lahaina and Upcountry Maui.  Maui Now.

6 House working groups to study Lahaina fire’s aftermath. House Speaker Scott Saiki has appointed six working groups to address a large range of issues relating to the Lahaina fire and wants them to come back with bills to be considered during the next legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Bill to ban selling flavored tobacco on Oʻahu sees mixed reactions from councilmembers. While the goal of Bill 46 is to limit enticing vaping products, some are concerned the bill would additionally target sales of cigars and hookah. Hawaii Public Radio.

State gauges interest from developers on new Aloha Stadium project. So far a total of nine teams of developers showed genuine interest in building out the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and met with state officials to discuss the plans for the project in one-on-one meetings. KHON2.

City and County of Honolulu working toward banning shopping carts on local streets. The City and County of Honolulu passed first reading of Bill 49 Wednesday, that would make it unlawful for any person to use, place, leave or in any other manner situate a shopping cart. Shoppers on store premises - permitted to park by owners of the lot, would be an exception. KITV4.

Officials seek input on creating Oʻahu's long-term disaster recovery plan. The recent Maui fires have increased the importance of having a plan in place on every island to guide the recovery process after a natural disaster.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Complaints about overgrown brush rise amid heightened wildfire concerns. Like many ridgeline communities, Makakilo above Kapolei has a patchwork of land ownership that makes it hard to tell who is responsible for keeping down the wild brush to protect the homes. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiian Airlines to resume Tokyo Haneda-Kona service in October.  Hawaiian Airlines today announced it will restart service between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, operating three flights Oct. 29. through Nov. 4 before restarting regular weekly service on Nov. 22.  Maui Now.

Maunakea telescope removal slated for next week.  The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Maunakea is the first of five telescopes to be decommissioned in exchange for the planned eventual construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Mayor’s Limited Response About Lahaina Fires Leaves Critical Questions Unanswered. Mayor Richard Bissen spoke to the public in a scripted video address but is not returning calls seeking details and clarification. Civil Beat.

DOE: Number Of Students Missing, Killed In Maui Fires Is ‘Too Small’ To Release. Parents demanded more transparency from education officials at a meeting Thursday. Civil Beat.

West Maui May Reopen To Tourism On Oct. 8 As Economic Slowdown Predicted. The Hawaii governor also plans to distribute $1,200 to each adult affected by the Lahaina blaze. Civil Beat.

After loss of restaurant, Mick Fleetwood uses music to benefit Maui. Mick Fleetwood was in Los Angeles visiting family when he got the news that Lahaina was burning and he was unable to get back home. Back on Maui, the legendary drummer discovered his restaurant, Fleetwood’s on Front St., was destroyed. Maui News.

Local Businesses Will Have Priority For New Wildfire Cleanup Contracts. ECC Constructors, a California company with offices in Honolulu, will be the prime contractor leading the second phase of Lahaina’s remediation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has confirmed.  Civil Beat.

Maui beckons tourists, and their dollars, to stave off economic disaster after wildfires. State tourism officials, after initially urging travelers to stay away, are now asking them to come back, avoid the burn zone and help Maui recover by spending their money. Airlines have started offering steep discounts, while some resorts have slashed room rates by 20% or are offering a fifth night free. Associated Press.

Kaiser launches hotline to support West Maui community. Kaiser Permanente has launched a hotline to connect those in the West Maui community in need of in-person counseling, emotional support, and links to resources.  Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Kaua‘i firefighters extinguish multiple brush fires Wednesday.  Kaua‘i Fire Department firefighters extinguished brush fires in Anahola and Kōke‘e. Kauai Now.

Hurricane Jova intensifies to Cat 5, Hawaii House organizes committees on Maui wildfires, Honolulu plans examiner sentenced for taking bribes, COVID death toll passes 2k mark, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Jova intensifies into category 5 hurricane in East Pacific. Jova rapidly intensified today and was a category 5 hurricane as of 5 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. However, forecasters said its impact on land will be minor, and will likely weaken into a post-tropical remnant low well before reaching the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii News Now. Star-Advertiser.  KITV4.

Hawaii judge could become only Native Hawaiian woman on federal bench. Shanlyn A.S. Park, a longtime attorney and state court judge, has been nominated to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Park, a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, has been a state court judge on the First Circuit Court on Oahu since 2021. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s COVID-related deaths surpass 2,000.  Metrics for COVID, meanwhile, show a decline in the seven-day average of daily cases to 129, down from 170 the previous week, according to DOH. The statewide average positivity fell to 12%, down from about 15% reported the previous week. Star-Advertiser. Garden Island. KITV4.

Hawaii House To Explore Legislative Action On Wildfires. The Hawaii House of Representatives is setting up six interim working groups to make recommendations regarding the wildfires that devastated Lahaina last month. The legislative proposals will be taken up in the new session that begins in January. Civil Beat. Maui Now.

Hit to Hawaii economy from Maui fire pegged at $1.9 billion through 2024. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism expects that Hawaii’s economy will lose about $600 million in previously expected growth this year and about twice as much next year. Star-Advertiser.

AI model finds climate change directly intensified rainfall, droughts. An international team, including University of Hawai‘i at Manoa researchers, found that human-produced climate change has caused significant variations in day-to-day rainfall fluctuations, exacerbating heavy rainfall and drought events and increasing their severity. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

Oahu

Ex-city employee gets 10 months for taking bribes. A former city building plans examiner was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for accepting more than $28,000 in bribes to fast-track projects through the permitting process. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Council advances bill with $25K ‘monster home’ penalty.  The Honolulu City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the first reading of Bill 52 — forwarded first by the city Department of Planning and Permitting, then formally introduced by Council Chair Tommy Waters on Aug. 31 — that is focused solely on levying higher fines. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Restricted Parking Zone Bill Hits Another Detour. The Honolulu City Council voted 5-4 Wednesday to defer a decision on whether to expand restricted parking zones that began as a pilot program in Kalihi to other neighborhoods on Oahu. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Kunia woman accused of stealing pandemic benefits.  A 54-year-old Kunia woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday after she was charged in a 12-count federal indictment with taking more than $50,000 from a pandemic unemployment insurance program using other people’s identities. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu home prices stay close to flat. Sales of previously owned homes on Oahu remained depressed in August while prices didn’t change much amid higher mortgage interest rates, an industry report released Wednesday shows. Star-Advertiser.

Nadine Kam, Hawaii’s preeminent food writer, dies at 63. Nadine Kam, followed by readers of both the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Star-Advertiser for her spirited coverage of the local restaurant industry, fashion and music, died Tuesday night in Waipahu after a battle with cancer. She was 63. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council resolution seeks to spur action on high cost of home insurance in Lava Zones 1 and 2. When Florida insurer Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Co. announced in July that it will leave the Hawaii home and condo insurance market at the end of August 2024, hundreds of the provider’s Puna customers found themselves between a rock an a hard place. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii County announces 24th annual Queen Lili‘uokalani Festival. The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation announces the He Hali‘a Aloha No Lili‘uokalani Festival to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 in Hilo’s Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

In visit to Maui, HUD deputy secretary promises to make sure residents ‘hold onto their land’.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is pledging to make sure Lahaina residents are able to “hold onto their land” as they navigate losing their homes to the Aug. 8 wildfire.  HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman is on the ground and plans to meet with Gov. Josh Green and wildfire victims who have lost their homes and are worried about what will happen to everything they have built and worked for.  Hawaii News Now.

Maui County launches Maui Recovers website. Maui Emergency Management Agency’s interim administrator Darryl Oliveira announced Wednesday the county’s long-awaited Maui Recovers website, which includes updates on re-entry into Lahaina. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  KHON2.

The state is trying to contact 500 displaced Lahaina public school students. The number of displaced Lahaina public school students who still haven’t been reached by the state or enrolled in new schools is now down to slightly more than 500, and authorities will continue to work by phone and on foot until each one is contacted, a top state education official said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Free bus service to start for Lahaina students needing to get to temporary schools. The state Department of Education will start free bus services on Thursday for Lahaina students impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfire and need to get to their temporary schools in Central and South Maui. Hawaii News Now.

State’s vehicle replacement program has no details; more an effort to ensure supply. The news release announcing the program said interested individuals can contact national companies Hertz, Avis-Budget or Enterprise about rental cars for purchase — or “reach out to any local Maui automobile dealership for more details.”But those rental car companies and Maui dealerships reached on Wednesday said they did not know anything about a vehicle replacement program.  Maui Now.

Some Lahaina stores slowly reopen. As Maui County lifted restrictions on the Lahaina Gateway shopping center this week, business remained slow at Maui’s largest open-air mall as residents continue to grapple with the aftermath of the deadly fire that burned down most of the town last month. Star-Advertiser. Maui News.

Some Historic Lahaina Buildings Could Rise From The Ashes. The town's historic preservation group is considering plans to reconstruct some buildings that partially survived the Aug. 8 fire. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kōkeʻe brush fire extinguished. The Kaua‘i Fire Department reports that the brush fire on Waimea Canyon Drive in Kōkeʻe has been extinguished and crews have cleared the scene. Waimea Canyon Drive is now open. Kauai Now.

Hanalei Beach parking lots close for temporary repairs. County parking lots at Hanalei Bay will be temporarily closed Wednesday and Thursday for repairs. Kauai Now.