Hawaii LG Sylvia Luke Needed Bailout From Governor, Documents Show. Just before the close of the fiscal year, Gov. Josh Green stepped in with a $49,000 solution to a budget problem that threatened to expose Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke to possible liability and removal from office. Civil Beat.
Feds Closely Watching Local Property Deals For Signs Of Money Laundering. Real estate purchases by anonymous shell companies can distort appraisals and tax assessments. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a branch of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has begun requiring title companies on Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai to report the identities of the true owners for all-cash purchases of residential real estate exceeding $300,000. Civil Beat.
Businesses, residents demand more clarity on how new ocean recreation fee will be used. The state is preparing to collect a new $1 fee from every customer of commercial vessels, watercraft and water sports equipment operators. Hawaii News Now.
Law Enforcement Standards Board Inches Toward Hiring Key Staff. The board charged with overseeing police statewide still can’t develop standards, leaving Hawaii the only state unable to certify its law enforcement officers. Civil Beat.
Angelo named as Hawaii’s Consumer Advocate. The state has named Michael S. Angelo executive director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division of Consumer Advocacy. Angelo assumed the position on July 17. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Defense Contractors Likely To Get Probation For Campaign Violations. Clifford Chen and Lawrence Lum Kee, formerly of Navatek LLC, were indicted along with their boss, Martin Kao, after making illegal donations to a senator's reelection efforts. Civil Beat.
Oahu
EPA hosting public meeting to create new community group for Red Hill defueling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a community meeting Thursday night in Salt Lake, joined by Navy officials, to share more information about the formation of the “Community Representation Initiative.” Hawaii News Now.
HPD’s newly converted fleet of pickups taken off patrols after safety concerns surface. In June, Honolulu police converted 10 Chevy Colorados into the department’s newest patrol vehicles. The trucks were purchased during the pandemic using COVID relief funds. Hawaii News Now.
Planners OK more mixed-use development in Halawa. The Honolulu Planning Commission voted Wednesday to recommend rezoning 227 acres around Skyline’s Halawa station to allow for more development of mixed-use business, residential and affordable housing sites near the state’s planned New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District. Star-Advertiser.
Former site of Stadium Bowl-o-Drome will be new home for DHHL’s first rental project. The 23-story building in Moiliili will include 278 affordable apartments exclusively for beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Home Lands program. Hawaii News Now.
Developer renews plan for homes below Koko Crater. A developer has revived plans to extend a subdivision of million-dollar homes in Hawaii Kai onto land zoned for preservation after making similar efforts twice before in recent decades. Star-Advertiser.
Nearly 300 tsunami hazard road signs installed across Oahu. The city says this is part of phase 2 of its project to alert people where the danger zone begins and ends. Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Island
Council votes to change process for ag land tax assessments. An effort to offer Big Island commercial farmers a better break on their taxes took a new form Wednesday. Tribune-Herald.
UH reaches agreement with hackers in Hawaii Community College ransomware attack. The University of Hawaii has reached an agreement with those responsible for a ransomware attack on the Hawaii Community College network. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News Now.
Board hearing over TMT construction is postponed. Land Board Chair Dawn Chang has formally declared she can be fair and unbiased in the matter despite having previously worked for the University of Hawaii and the Department of Land and Natural Resources in matters related to the Mauna Kea summit and its astronomy uses. Star-Advertiser.
Maui
Roadway along rural Alelele Point reopens 3 months after rockfall. Maui County’s roadway along rural Alelele Point in East Maui reopened Tuesday, nearly three months after a rockfall forced emergency work to remove rock debris and stabilize the cliffside. Maui News.
Outrigger finalizes acquisition of Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel; welcomes Maui Brewing Co. restaurant this summer. Outrigger Resorts & Hotels finalized its acquisition of the iconic Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel on Wednesday. The 11-acre, 432-room property is now rebranded as Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort. Maui Now.
School bus routes modified to handle driver shortage. Some Maui public school students will head to campus on modified or consolidated routes, similar to last school year, as the island deals with a shortage of 29 bus drivers, the state Department of Education said. Maui News.
Kauai
Kaua‘i Bus to offer free passes to high school students this upcoming school year. With ongoing staffing shortages for school bus drivers, the state will partner with counties for the second year in a row to provide transportation for students attending Hawai‘i public schools. Kauai Now.
Kauaʻi Community College begins chancellor search. Margaret Sanchez was appointed interim chancellor on Jan. 3, 2023 after the previous chancellor, Joseph Daisy, retired in December 2022. Kauai Now.
Tour companies host free sightseeing event at Kikialoa Small Boat Harbor. Tour companies at Kikialoa Small Boat Harbor gave free Napali Coast sightseeing tours to more than 200 Kaua‘i residents on Wednesday, July 26, launching what organizers say will be an annual event for locals. Garden Island.
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