Showing posts with label Proud Boy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Proud Boy. Show all posts

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Alcohol tax hike, sugary drink tax proposed in Legislature, OHA whistleblower files lawsuit, only half of state residents plan to take coronavirus vaccination, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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House measure would increase state liquor tax. House Bill 771 proposes a 3-year-long increase to the state’s liquor tax, which currently imposes a nearly $6 tax per gallon on distilled spirits and a nearly $1 tax on nondraft beer. Tribune-Herald.

Ige’s Proposed ‘Sugar Tax’ Could Generate $60 Million A Year For The State. Gov. David Ige has proposed a new 2-cents-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugary drinks in an effort to discourage sugar consumption and cope with the “huge health challenge” of obesity and diabetes. Civil Beat.

Labor unions push lawmakers to drop GET on groceries. Labor unions are asking lawmakers to get rid of the state general excise tax on groceries as a way to help struggling families. Supporters of the idea say bold initiatives are needed during these unprecedented times. KHON2.

Hawaii Chief Justice: Courts Must Address Systemic Inequities. Hawaii Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, invoking the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others who were killed by police, is calling on the state court system to do its part in addressing systemic inequities. Civil Beat.

Former OHA Finance Chief Sues Over Whistleblower Retaliation. A former official at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has sued the agency as well as its former chief executive officer alleging whistleblower retaliation and corrupt and unlawful practices. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii ‘Proud Boy’ Hires 9/11 Defense Lawyer To Fight Capitol Mob Charges. Nick Ochs ran for political office in Hawaii as a Republican and was endorsed by the Hawaii GOP. Civil Beat.

Women’s Legislative Caucus Outlines 2021 Bill Package Protecting Women, Children and Families. The bipartisan Hawaiʻi Women’s Legislative Caucus announced their 2021 legislative package of five bills and two resolutions that will support and protect women, children and families. Maui Now.

Should the voting age be lowered? Proposal is among package of bills introduced by Keiki Caucus. A Wednesday presentation by the state Legislature’s Hawaii Keiki Caucus discussed 20 bills and resolutions that were devised after lawmakers discussed with children and teenagers what issues are important to them. Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Only half of Hawaii residents surveyed plan to vaccinate. Only half of the respondents in a recent Department of Health survey indicated they would take the COVID-19 vaccination, while about 24.4% said they were not likely to get immunized against the virus that has sickened nearly 25,500 Hawaii residents, killed 404 and ravaged the economy. Another 25.5% said they were undecided. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige opens pre-arrival testing program to South Korea. Gov. David Ige today announced a pre-arrival testing program for travelers from South Korea starting Feb. 5. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Big Island Now.

Fed Help Would Give Hawaii’s Vaccination Campaign A Shot In The Arm. Faster vaccine deliveries promised by President Joe Biden would help the state could give a COVID-19 shot to every willing Hawaii resident by the fall, health official says. Civil Beat.

COVID-19 Testing Capacity Quadrupled. Hawaii’s largest locally owned medical testing laboratory, Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc. (DLS), has increased its capacity to 4,000 tests per day, up from 1,000. Big Island Now.

Teacher vaccinations slowed by vaccine shortage, educators unsure about the process. Teachers and educators fall under group 1B in the Department of Health (DOH) vaccine breakdown. The DOH said, they are working diligently to get Department of Education (DOE) employees their shots but some teachers claim the process is unclear. KHON2.

Lt. Gov. Green: We’ve given more vaccines than we’ve had cases. Hawaii is one of only two states that has administered more COVID-19 vaccines than confirmed cases of the virus. KHON2.

HAWAII VIRUS TRACKER — Jan. 27: 103 New Infections And 3 Deaths. Hawaii health officials reported three deaths and 103 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, including 64 on Oahu, 27 on Maui, three on the Big Island, and nine Hawaii residents diagnosed out of state. Civil Beat.

Oahu


Mayor identifies affordable workforce rentals as a top priority. Rick Blangiardi’s first piece of legislation as Honolulu’s mayor calls for grant money to help fund more affordable rental units. Hawaii News Now.

Blangiardi feels energized in mayor’s role; hopes to ease COVID restrictions in February. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said about a month into the job, he feels energized to serve in his new position, as well as to the pressure of high expectations and a sense of responsibility as his new leadership team comes together. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu's Next Budget Director Expects Challenges, 'A Tough 2022' . Mayor Rick Blangiardi named Andy Kawano as the next person to lead the department. He came to the city from Foodland Supermarket as its director of facilities. Hawaii Public Radio.

Murder trials, other Oahu court cases with multiple defendants halted due to COVID-19. Prosecutions of homicide cases on Oahu — and trials involving multiple defendants — are not moving forward because of COVID-19 limits, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald told a joint session of the state Legislature Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

HPD Chief Shakes Up Covert Intelligence Unit After Years Of Scandal. The Intelligence Enforcement Unit was at the center of the Kealoha conspiracy as well as a more recent surveillance operation that targeted a political appointee. Civil Beat.

Kualoa Ranch to lay off large number of workers. Kualoa Ranch Hawaii Inc., which employed some 370 workers pre-COVID-19, is permanently laying off a large number of its remaining employees due to a decline in business, its president confirmed Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Boatyard Agrees To Six-Figure Penalty For Keehi Lagoon Pollution. The levels of contaminants discharged from the facility into the lagoon violated federal regulations, the EPA found. Civil Beat.

An affordable housing complex opens in Maili, with more projects expected to break ground along the Leeward Coast and around Honolulu this year. More public and private housing projects will start construction this year, but experts say it still won't be enough to satisfy the state's supply shortage of affordable homes. KITV4.

Honolulu City Council OKs senior housing tower in Chinatown. The Honolulu City Council is endorsing a long-planned affordable rental housing tower for seniors on city land in Chinatown. Star-Advertiser.

All 4 Ko Olina lagoon parking lots will reopen completely on Monday. The four free parking lots, relied upon by the beachgoing public to access the popular lagoons, were closed during the resort’s coronavirus closure from March until October 16, when Ko Olina began reopening to tourists and partially reopened the lots, making 111 of 180 parking stalls available. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Some Big Island teachers get first dose of COVID vaccine. Approximately 630 DOE staff were given the first dose of the Moderna vaccine Jan. 16 at a closed “POD,” or point of distribution, conducted for Big Island DOE staff at Keaau High School, according to District Health Officer Eric Honda. Tribune-Herald.

Water employees offered vaccinations: Employees moved ahead in line after letter to Ige. There hasn’t been a single positive coronavirus test among the Department of Water Supply’s 164 staff, and the agency wants to keep it that way. West Hawaii Today.

Maui


Proposal pulls power from Maui Redevelopment Agency. The Maui Planning Commission on Tuesday gave its backing to a proposed bill that pulls power from a county agency with authority to alter zoning and variance rules for downtown Wailuku. Maui News.

Hawaii Governor Declares Maui County A Disaster Area As Drought There Persists. The drought has lasted since March 2019, taking a heavy toll on farmers and homesteaders, as well as the deer that roam those islands. Civil Beat. KITV4.

Kauai

Council passes lower residential investor threshold evaluation. With one in eight homes on Kaua‘i empty, a bill attempting to incentivize filling these vacancies passed through the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday. Garden Island.

Kauai Is Moving Forward On One Of The Nation’s Most Advanced Energy Projects. The solar-charged hydro power concept is being eyed to replace coal and other fossil-fuel powered electric plants in the U.S. and abroad. Civil Beat.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Arizona Memorial reopens today, officials scramble to fix Safe Travels bugs before trans-Pacific flights resume, Proud Boy House candidate loses Facebook page, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial PC:NPS

 Arizona Memorial reopens Monday; other Pearl Harbor Historic Sites remain closed. The National Park Service will offer a 30-minute program, consisting of a brief orientation from NPS staff, followed by a boat ride to the memorial on U.S. Navy vessels. Star-Advertiser.

USS Arizona Memorial will resume tours on Sept. 28.
The National Park Service will resume its tours to the USS Arizona Memorial on Monday, Sept. 28. KHON2.

Officials scramble to fix bugs in Safe Travels before more travelers return to Hawaii. There are just 18 days to go before the Oct. 15 start of the state’s pre-arrival testing program. Yet officials are still working out the kinks of Safe Travels, travel.hawaii.gov, the online application that collects traveler information needed to enforce public safety measures related to the coronavirus. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Has A Plan To Restart Tourism Safely.
Will It Work? The state’s pre-travel testing program is set to launch next month, but other destinations with similar programs have struggled to keep COVID-19 cases from spiking. Civil Beat.

Trans-Pacific travel set to resume soon, but inter-island travel plans still unclear.
With a significant drop in active COVID-19 cases reported Saturday, Lt. Gov. Josh Green feels it is safe to lift the inter-island quarantine rule for travelers. Hawaii News Now.

New health director Dr. Libby Char warns of coronavirus double threat.
Hawaii’s new Health Director Libby Char is urging the public to remain vigilant during the upcoming flu season that health experts predict could be the worst in years due to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community. Star-Advertiser.

Potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed at UH. As government leaders continue to try to find the balance between public health and opening the economy, experts are trying to produce COVID-19 vaccines. KHON2.

Facebook deletes campaign page of 'Proud Boy' running for Hawaii House seat. In less than five weeks, voters in Hawaii House District 22, which covers Waikiki, Ala Moana, and Kakaako on Oahu will decide between Democrat Adrian Tam and Republican Nick Ochs to represent them at the State Capitol. KITV4.

Board of Ed Settles Sunshine Lawsuit, Will Rehear Petition.
The state Board of Education on Thursday agreed to reconsider a Kahuku resident’s petition for a new rule that would require the Hawaii Department of Education to hold school community meetings over proposed development near a school or library. Civil Beat.

Preschools seek to reassure parents amid enrollment drop in Hawaii. Preschools in Hawaii are back in action with strict protocols to keep children and staff safe from the coronavirus, but enrollment has dropped substantially. Star-Advertiser.

2 more medical marijuana dispensaries given the green light for business. The state has approved two more cannabis dispensaries in the islands. Hawaii News Now.

VIRUS TRACKER — Sept. 27: 98 New COVID-19 Cases And 1 Death In Hawaii. The Department of Health’s dashboard shows there are 1,829 active cases of COVID-19 in Hawaii and that it’s trending downward. Civil Beat.

Oahu

How Honolulu’s Mayoral Candidates Would Tackle The Pandemic. Blangiardi and Amemiya both would have done things different than the Caldwell administration but they differ most on the role of police. Civil Beat.

Visitors to Oahu will face confusing COVID-19 restrictions. The first visitors to arrive on Oahu under the pre-arrivals testing program will face a long list of restrictions along with their sun, sand and surf. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu residents flock to beaches as city reopens outdoor spaces to small groups. It’s the first weekend since Mayor Kirk Caldwell allowed people on Oahu to congregate in small groups outdoors, and the island’s busy beaches Saturday showed they were eager to do just that. Star-Advertiser.

Plans to close Dillingham Airfield back on track, worrying struggling businesses. Lawmakers and community leaders are urging the state to save the Dillingham Airfield. Hawaii News Now.

The fate of Dillingham Airfield is still in the air. A popular North Shore operation is facing a forced shut down once again. KHON2.

Koolau Golf Club to close permanently due to coronavirus pandemic. A spokesperson for the Koolau Golf Club announced Friday that the course would close permanently on Sept. 30 because of economic hardships suffered during the coronavirus pandemic. Hawaii News Now.

Work on King Street's bus-only lane begins Monday. The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services is starting construction work on a new bus-only lane on King Street on Monday. KITV4.

OCCC Tests Show 19 Positives After Outbreak Declared Contained. The state Department of Public Safety reported 10 inmates tested positive for COVID-19 following another round of testing at the Oahu Community Correctional Center. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

No CARES campaigning: Council members directed to distance themselves from coronavirus relief funds. Almost $1 million in federal coronavirus relief funds the County Council is disbursing to businesses and community groups has caused some consternation as the county administration tries to ensure donations follow federal laws and don’t look like political campaigning. West Hawaii Today.

Avalon ousted as private managers of troubled Hilo veterans home grappling with outbreak. After the deaths of 26 people at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo, the private healthcare agency charged with the facility’s management is being replaced by the state, Mayor Harry Kim said Friday. Hawaii News Now.

Management Changed At Hilo’s COVID-Ravaged Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home.
Avalon Health Care Group will no longer operate the home where 26 residents who were infected with COVID-19 have died, the Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation announced. Big Island Video News.

Still in the race: Two County Council seats remain undecided. While the primary election settled most of the County Council races last month, two seats remain in question heading into the Nov. 3 general election. West Hawaii Today.

DHHL moving forward on Villages of La’i ‘Opua project. Though progress has been sluggish for years, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands’ Villages of La’i ‘Opua project in Kealakehe is slowly inching toward beginning construction of homes in Village 4. West Hawaii Today.

DHHL Presents Hawaii Island Homestead Projects Update. The update included new information on projects in Honomū, Kaumana, Panaʻewa, LaʻiʻŌpua, Kawaihae, and water projects in Kaʻū and Honokaia. Big Island Video News.

WARN notices paint grim picture: Larger BI employers furloughed or laid off nearly 6,000 workers. Large businesses operating on the Big Island have indefinitely furloughed thousands of employees since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to records filed with the state Department of Labor. Tribune-Herald.


Maui


New grant to help businesses adapt to ‘new normal’. Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino announced Friday the launch of a program that will help local small businesses adjust to the “new normal” and survive the financial impacts caused by COVID-19. Maui News.

Shane Sinenci defends seat in rematch vs. Claire Carroll. A longtime schoolteacher turned council member and the daughter of a former elected official looking to write her own story are facing off once more for the Maui County Council’s East Maui residency seat. Maui News.

Blue Water Task Force Reports High Bacteria Levels at Ho‘okipa, Waiehu, Waihe‘e and Wailuku.
Waters at Wailuku River, Waiehu Stream, the west end of Hoʻokipa Beach Park, and Waiʻehu Beach Park had high levels of enterococcus bacteria, according to samples taken on Sept. 24, as part of a citizen scientist program conducted by the Surfrider Foundation. Maui Now.

Organizers, community saddened over no fair. Sadness and disappointment filled the hearts of Maui Fair leaders, organizers and participants, who would normally be busy preparing for the county’s largest event held annually around this time. Maui News.

Kauai

Princeville Glamping Project Would Require Affordable Housing. Developers of a proposed 50-unit luxury camping resort that would be built on what is now a golf course backed away slightly Saturday from what critics in the community have charged amounts to opening the way for massive new development here. Civil Beat.

Residents oppose possible westside resort bill. During the process of creating the 2018 Kaua‘i General Plan, the community spoke out in opposition to more resorts. However, 60 acres on the Westside was labeled “provisional,” to be determined through the West Kaua‘i Community Plan. Garden Island.

Coronavirus Relief Funds Are Helping These Workers Train For New Careers. More than 300 people applied for 24 openings in a job training program for Kauai residents who lost work due to the coronavirus. Civil Beat.

KPD honors criminologists. Kaua‘i Police Department leaders
and Mayor Derek Kawakami last week recognized Forensic Science Week by holding a small ceremony for KPD criminologists who are instrumental in helping to solve island crimes. Garden Island.

Lanai

Lanai resort workers to return to jobs beginning of next month. Furloughed Lanai resorts workers will return to their jobs at the beginning of October, following the announcement of a COVID-19 pre-testing program for trans-Pacific travelers to bypass quarantine, said a top Pulama Lana’i official Thursday. Garden Island.