Honolulu homeless increase almost 12%, pay to play regulation a tough sell, Zuckerberg settles wrongful death lawsuit, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

The Number Of People Living On The Streets Of Oahu Has Nearly Doubled In The Last Decade. The Point in Time count — a federally mandated effort to identify the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January — located 4,494 homeless people on Oahu this year, a roughly 12% increase from 2023. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.  KITV4.

Hawaii Ethics Commission Grapples With Pay-To-Play Issues. The Hawaii State Ethics Commission is trying to figure out how to wrangle two groups of people who are proving particularly challenging: high-level state employees who are politically active and legislators who have outside jobs with companies that have government business.  The commission acknowledged that it's tough to oversee lawmakers who resist most accountability measures. Civil Beat.

2 bills aimed at preventing drownings in Hawaii become law. Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2841 to make every May 15 Water Safety Day for the state, and in tandem Wednesday signed a separate bill to raise money for water safety programs and efforts by authorizing the sale of special Hawaii license plates honoring legendary Hawaiian waterman Duke Kaha­na­moku. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Hawaii Wants Home Cooks To Play A Bigger Role In Growing The State’s Food System. New legislation awaiting the governor's signature would help businesses operate out of home kitchens. Civil Beat.
 
“Sentinel Landscape” Designation Around Hawaiʻi Military Installations Announced. U.S. Representative Ed Case (D, Hawaiʻi) announced a new partnership on Wednesday in support of a “Sentinel Landscape” designation for two million acres of land near military installations in Hawaiʻi.  Big Island Video News.

Green signs emergency proclamation, pledges National Guard support as kona low nears. The governor has signed an emergency proclamation and pledged an all-of-government response to a kona low system nearing the islands that forecasters warn could bring record rains, flash flooding and thunderstorms. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

Oahu

Honolulu planning panel considers next step on landfill alternative. The Honolulu Planning Commission continues to wrestle with the city’s request for an extension to find an alternate site for the 34-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei which is scheduled to close in 2028. Star-Advertiser.

Families on the Navy water system say there is new contamination in their tap water. They say samples they sent to labs have come back with traces of forever chemicals known as PFAS. Hawaii Public Radio.

Elevated bacterial detected from sample taken at Kailua wastewater treatment plant. The city says this week’s downpours likely caused elevated bacteria in treated wastewater discharged about 5,000 feet from shore. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Council bill authorizes County to limit bike tours from select public roads. What began as an effort to reduce bike traffic on specific West Hawaii roads has become a proposed series of regulations upon bike tour operators throughout the Big Island. Tribune-Herald.

County grants lease extension of Kanoelehua Industrial Area property. After years of bureaucratic wrangling, a Hilo lessee of state land has finally secured a 30-year lease extension for property in the Kanoelehua Industrial Area. Tribune-Herald.

County puts up $200K to mitigate invasive insect. Hawaii County will invest in additional biosecurity measures at a West Hawaii waste facility to prevent the spread of a devastating invasive beetle. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Police Chief Gets Glowing Job Review From Commission. Chief John Pelletier is credited with implementing a five-year strategic plan, something the department lacked when he joined the force in 2021. Civil Beat.

Maui Planning Commission weighs in on Ledcor South Maui’s draft EIS. Maui Planning Commission members finished hearing public comments and then added their own Tuesday to a draft environmental impact statement for Ledcor South Maui’s plans to build as many as 975 homes. Maui Now.

Health declines seen in survivors of Maui wildfires, UH study finds. Nearly half of those affected by the Maui wildfires in August suffered a decline in health, according to a study that aims to track the well-being and social conditions of those exposed to the disaster. Star-Advertiser.

Construction to begin at Lahaina housing site. Heavy construction is set to begin at the Kilohana temporary housing site in Lahaina later this week and will last approximately six months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Project aims to restore landscape, mitigate deer damage and reduce erosion above Kihei. A collaboration aiming to protect against erosion, reduce flood risk, mitigate axis deer damage, and improve water quality is being implemented in an 11-acre area mauka of Kihei as part of The Hapapa Watershed Axis Deer Damage Mitigation Project, according to the Maui Soil & Water Conservation District. Maui News.

Kauai

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg settles wrongful death case in Hawaii. In the wrongful death lawsuit in Hawaii involving Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the attorneys for both Zuckerberg and the plaintiff, the family of Rodney Medeiros, who worked part-time as a security guard at Zuckerberg’s ranch on Kauai’s North Shore, agreed to dismiss the case. KITV4.

UH farmer training program holding open house on Kauaʻi. A University of Hawai’i beginner farmer training program is hosting an open house at its Kauaʻi site on June 1 and is encouraging interested participants to register. Kauai Now.

Hawaii braces for COVID surge, new fire chief for Honolulu, police chief for Maui, the Aussies are back, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lt. Gov. Josh Green administers coronavirus vacine Dec. 29, 2020 PC:Lt. Gov. Office

Hawaii COVID-19 cases are on the rise, local health experts urge vaccinations. With the omicron variant already circulating in Hawaii, another COVID-19 surge is expected, health officials warn, just as holiday gatherings get into full swing. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Hawaii Health Department marks 1-year anniversary of first COVID-19 vaccine shot. The first COVID-19 vaccine in the state was administered to Dr. Lester Morehead at Queen’s Medical Center on this day a year ago, signifying a turning point in the state’s battle against the coronavirus. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.

House Panel Wants Answers On Rail Audit Contracts. As the House Investigative Committee examining two audits by the Hawaii Office of the Auditor nears the end of its work, it is seeking more information on several contracts related to the Honolulu rail project. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Airports Set to Receive Nearly $50 Million to Improve Infrastructure, Safety. US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced the new federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Maui Now.

Hawaii Innocence Project Receives $570,000 Grant From DOJ. The Hawaii Innocence Project at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law has been awarded a substantial grant from the Department of Justice to fund DNA testing. Civil Beat.

Dentists Could Soon Find It Easier To Move To Hawaii Under Proposed Bill. Its sponsor says the state House measure would align Hawaii’s dental licensing law with those of 46 other states. Civil Beat.

Interim fix for USS Arizona Memorial dock pursued as $5.8 million contract for long-term replacement is awarded. The National Park Service is hoping the latest repair to a chronically-failing shoreside dock at the USS Arizona Memorial visitor center will take fewer than the 17 days it took for a fix in September. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiian Airlines welcomes back first Australian travelers. A nearly full plane flew into Honolulu from Sydney on Wednesday to start the recovery of service from Australia to Hawaii after the route was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Hawaii records 5 new coronavirus-related deaths, 282 additional infections. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 230 new cases on Oahu, five on Hawaii Island, 28 on Maui, 13 on Kauai, two on Molokai and four Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Sheldon ‘Kalani’ Hao selected as new Honolulu Fire Department chief. Sheldon “Kalani” Hao, the Hono­lulu Fire Department’s acting deputy fire chief, has been selected to become the department’s new fire chief. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

City Finalizing Deal With Consultant To Help Select The Next Honolulu Police Chief. PSI Services LLC has been awarded a $145,777.50 contract to the relief of police commissioners who believed the process was taking too long. Civil Beat.

Defense bill directs military to offer alternatives to Red Hill. The latest iteration of Congress’ annual defense bill includes a provision that directs the military to conduct an assessment of alternatives to its Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, including consideration of locations outside of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Public hearing set for order requiring Navy to drain tanks at Red Hill. A public hearing is set for Monday, in which the Navy is expected to contest the Hawaii Department of Health’s emergency order instructing it to drain the fuel from its 20 underground Red Hill fuel tanks. Star-Advertiser.

Lawsuit Alleges Inmate Was Killed For ‘Being A Snitch’ In The Miske Case. Suit claims James Borling-Salas gave Honolulu police information about the alleged murder-for-hire of Jonathan Fraser. Civil Beat.

A New Program To Help Homeless People On Oahu Is Off To A Slow Start. The CORE program has hired 15 people since starting operations in mid-October and has had to scale back plans to rely mostly on community health workers. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Richards to seek state Senate seat. Kohala Councilman Tim Richards is planning to forego a final term on the County Council to run for the District 4 Senate seat vacated when the state Reapportionment Commission redrew the boundary lines on the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

$10M boost for Big Isle airports. Big Island airports will receive $10 million in federal funds for infrastructure improvements as part of a $246 million funding package for the state. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

New Maui Police Chief Officially On Board. New Maui Police Chief, John Pelletier was sworn in during a blessing and badge pinning ceremony held this morning at the Wailuku Police Station. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Federal report details fatal 2019 Kauaʻi helicopter crash, unusual weather pattern. The National Transportation Safety Board released an investigation report Wednesday on a fatal Kauaʻi tour helicopter crash that killed seven people in 2019. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Kaua‘i County Council voice concerns for drug use in public spaces. The Kaua‘i County Council, with support of county administration, has passed a resolution acknowledging the increase of opioid drugs, including fentanyl, on Kaua‘i, and encouraged heightened enforcement within drug-free zones. Garden Island.