Governor to choose next Hawaii Supreme Court chief justice, average gas price jumps to $4.95 a gallon, Lahaina House rep switches to GOP, cat sterilization bill advances, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Josh Green to choose new Chief Justice, circuit judge from list of nominees. The nominees for chief justice are:  Lance D. Collins, Vladimir Devens, David M. Forman, Benjamin E. Lowenthal and Sabrina S. McKenna. Big Island Now.

Legislature kills bill intended to seek damages from fossil fuel companies. Senate Bill 3000, which would have authorized the state attorney general to bring a civil action on behalf of the people of the state to recover losses from any responsible parties after a climate disaster, was voted down in the Ways and Means Committee. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii average gas prices jump to $4.95 a gallon. Gas prices have made a huge jump, resulting in high prices at the pump. Gas prices are roughly 70 cents higher than they were two weeks ago.  KHON2.

Should tax dollars be used for campaigns? These election reform bills are still alive. Campaign finance has been a topic of interest this legislative session. The heightened focus can be attributed to a federal investigation that unearthed allegations of an unknown lawmaker accepting $35,000 in a paper bag. Hawaii Public Radio.

Neighbor Islands Could See A Rare Political Win In The Legislature. Bills primarily serving Hawaiʻi, Maui and Kauaʻi counties often struggle to gain traction, but a major housing bill has promise. Civil Beat.

Lahaina Rep. Elle Cochran switches party affiliation to Republican. State House Rep. Elle Cochran of Lahaina announced on Monday that she is switching her political party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Her move to the other side of the aisle increases the House Republicans’ numbers to 10. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii bill requiring sterilization of cats advances. House Bill 1736 establishes a special spay- neuter fund, but also requires owners of all pet cats ages five months or older to get their felines sterilized and prohibits intact cats from being imported into Hawaii, with some exceptions. Star-Advertiser.

Weaker storm forms as damage resonates. A powerful storm that drenched Hawaii over the weekend delivered rainfall totals not seen statewide since the early 1980s, overwhelming rivers, knocking out power and destroying homes and property. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. 

Oahu

Wahiawa dam owner says failure risk overstated. Dole Food Co. Hawaii, owner of a dam in Wahiawa that city officials warned could fail and endanger North Shore residents amid a deluge on Friday contends that the dam functioned as designed, is safe, and actually reduced flood risks. Star-Advertiser.

Skyline trains halted by storm-related power outages.  The city Department of Transportation Services partially suspended operations of Skyline due to power outages that affected automated, driverless trains from East Kapolei to the Waipahu Transit Center. Several stations were operating on backup power, city officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Days-long power outage forces eateries to toss thousands worth of food. As Hawaiian Electric crews work to restore power for thousands across the islands, impacted customers can file claims. Hawaii News Now.

Storm aftermath: Recovery begins across Oahu. For one Waiahole Valley neighborhood, recovery began the moment the towering banyan tree came crashing down on Saturday, March 14. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

‘Plan for prolonged outages’: Thousands on Big Island still without power after Kona low storm. Roughly 8,000 Hawaiian Electric Company customers across Hawaii Island were still without electricity Monday afternoon as utility crews raced to clear fallen trees and repair power lines damaged by the Kona low storm over the weekend. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi Island Storm Recovery Update. Hawaiʻi County officials provided an update on the status of local government services and facilities following the recent Kona low storm that produced flash flooding across the Big Island.  Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. KHON2. 

Maui

Maui recovers from inundation, prepares for next storm. The powerful Kona-low storm that drenched the state over the weekend hit Maui County the hardest.  Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Community raises $48,000 for couple whose home washed away in ʻĪao. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $48,000 for an 80-year-old couple living in a storage container after recent floodwaters destroyed their home and property in ʻĪao Valley. Maui Now.

Kauai

County asks residents to submit information on damages from storm. The County of Kauaʻi is collecting preliminary assessments of affected areas to understand the scope of damages and community impacts. Kauai Now.

Hawaii begins mopping up from storm, HECO warns of prolonged power outages, legislative session reaches midpoint, LNG may not save as much as originally forecast, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii shifts into recovery mode. Communities across Hawaii began shifting into recovery Sunday after days of intense rain, flash flooding and damaging winds from a powerful Kona-low storm. The state Department of Transportation Highways Division is estimating $23.04 million in damage statewide — roughly $14 million on Oahu, $7 million on Maui, $2 million on Hawaii island and $35,000 on Kauai — to cover contractor response, debris clearing, rock removal, guardrail and sign repairs, bridge inspections, traffic signal fixes and road repairs. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii Public Radio.

HECO warns of prolonged outages for customers still in the dark. Hawaiian Electric said more than 26,000 customers are still without power. They include about 7,000 on Oahu, 4,600 on Maui and 14,500 on Hawaii Island.  At the same time, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported 18 active outages across Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Storm triggers travel chaos, millions in tourism losses. Hawaii’s tourism industry is bracing for millions of dollars in lost revenue after the Kona-low storm disrupted travel statewide, prompting hundreds of flight delays, dozens of cancellations and a wave of last-minute hotel reservation wipeouts across the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Storm exposes transportation system vulnerabilities. As a powerful Kona low lashed the islands with heavy rain and strong winds, state transportation officials say the storm is revealing a deeper problem: that much of Hawaii’s infrastructure was designed decades ago for conditions that no longer exist. Star-Advertiser.

Rain Check: 5-day totals show Kona Low dumped more rain than expected across Hawaii. Preliminary rainfall totals through 10 a.m. Sunday show some of the highest five-day amounts reported statewide were concentrated on Maui and Hawaii Island, with multiple gauges topping 20 inches. Hawaii News Now.

Future of Hawaii tax breaks cloudy as House and Senate trade bills. The Legislature has reached the halfway point of its five-month session with different approaches between the House and Senate over how to preserve tax breaks for most Hawaii residents as legislators move nearly 850 bills to the opposite chamber for further debate. Star-Advertiser.

As legislative session hits midpoint, federal funding impacts remain the focus. The crossover deadline means that if a bill was introduced in the House, it needed to pass by Thursday and be sent to the Senate, and vice versa. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Sun Is Still Shining For Key Reform Bills Halfway Through Session. But a few significant issues failed to generate much interest this year as legislators scurried to meet the crossover deadline. Civil Beat.

Independent analyst disputes reported cost savings of powering Hawaiʻi with LNG. A former University of Hawaiʻi professor claims that a landmark state report may have overestimated the potential cost savings of swapping liquefied natural gas for oil by more than a billion dollars. Hawaii Public Radio.

Fake Farms Get Tax Breaks, But Hawaiʻi Can’t Stop Them Yet. Not everyone living on agricultural land is a farmer. But state agencies have struggled to distinguish the genuine food producers from the hobby farmers looking for a tax break. Civil Beat.

Families Want Playground Access. They Could Get A Criminal Record Instead. DOE wants more support in keeping unwanted visitors off its campuses, but families say school playgrounds are an important part of the community. Civil Beat.

Hawaii film productions to bring economic boost. Netflix’s second season of “Untamed,” Jason Momoa’s action‑comedy “Protecting Jared,” and the third film in the “Jumanji” franchise have all begun, marking one of the busiest periods for local filming in recent years. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Cleanup efforts underway at Ala Wai Canal after Kona Low storms. Crews are working to clean debris from the Ala Wai Canal after recent Kona low storms brought heavy rain and runoff to Oʻahu. KHON2.

Home gets swept into the ocean near Keehi Stream. The Honolulu Fire Department responded to a home that washed into the ocean at Kahauiki Village near the Keehi Stream on Friday night. KITV4.

North Shore Oʻahu Farmers Search For Answers In The Kona Storm Wreckage. Farmers spent Saturday wading through their properties, trying to pick up the pieces from crops and livestock lost during torrential rains, flooding and high winds this week. Civil Beat.

Farmer releases 500 animals to seek shelter from storm. Waimanalo farmer Claude Colton, owner of Colton Farms, released 500 of his animals, hoping for the best at the height of the storm and was particularly worried about the survival of a newborn calf and other young ones in the heavy rainfall and gusting winds. Star-Advertiser.

Osano family renews legacy with major Kyo‑ya renovations. The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort, marked its 125th anniversary last week with three generations of the Osano family — owners of Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts since 1963 — on hand to reaffirm their commitment to family stewardship and ongoing upgrades across the company’s six U.S. hotels, all of which have ties to Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Mayor: Hawaii Island hit with ‘worst flooding I’ve seen’ . County officials on the Big Island said cleanup is underway after some portions of the Island saw over 20 inches of rain overnight. KHON2.

Hawaiʻi Storm Update for Sunday at 6 p.m. About 14,500 Hawaiian Electric customers are without power, with the majority in Puna, South Point, and North and South Kona. The electric company says crews completed repairs to two transmission lines on Sunday, and expect to complete repairs to a third line by tomorrow. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains closed due to storm-related damage. The park could reopen some areas Monday, but there is no timeline, officials said. Hawaii News Now.

Resilience hubs provide aid to affected residents during kona low storm response. Across Hawaiʻi Island, communities are responding to multiple challenges with speed, care, and coordination through Aloha in Action. Big Island Now.

Maui

Kīhei shoreline hit hard in Kona low storm: ‘It’s just total chaos. It’s a total river.’ The roaring water, much of it starting high on 10,000-foot Haleakalā, was a maroon-brown color from collecting sand, sediment and who knows what else along the way. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

10 years after sugar plantation’s closure, Puʻunēnē Mill’s transformation in the works. The property’s owner, Oʻahu-based Nan Inc., wants to repurpose many of the Maui landmark’s buildings and features to transform the area into light industrial for local businesses. Maui Now.

Kauai

3 chosen for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors. KIUC incumbent directors Allan A. Smith and Jim Mayfield were re-elected to office following the vote counting by Merriman River Group. The third director position will be filled by Bryson Ponce, retired from Kauai Police Department Administration. Garden Island.

New study on Kauaʻi finds surge in road deaths for Hawaiʻi’s state bird, the nēnē. A new research effort on Kauaʻi’s west side is uncovering a troubling trend that far more endangered nēnē, the Hawaiʻi state bird, are dying along a rural highway than previously believed. Kauai Now.