Judge allows lawsuit over state House committee to continue. A Honolulu judge has ruled that a court challenge to the state House of Representatives’ closed-door meetings of the House Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures can proceed. Tribune-Herald.
Hawaii students show post-pandemic progress. Hawaii’s public schools are not only bouncing back from the pandemic but also showing consistent academic gains, according to the state Department of Education’s 2024-25 Strive HI Performance System report released Thursday. Star-Advertiser.
New program aims to form ʻāina, place-based behavioral health professionals. Mohala Liko Lehua, a partnership between Hawaiʻi Land Trust and the Native Hawaiian learning department at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, mixes ʻāina-based practices into behavioral health fellowships. Hawaii Public Radio.
DOE might alter districts before closing schools. The state Department of Education is rethinking its approach to declining student enrollment, prioritizing “district optimization” over immediate school closures and consolidations. Star-Advertiser.
Oahu
Red Hill Victims Claim Navy Destroyed Evidence In Fuel Contamination Crisis. Families who drank tainted water on Oʻahu were not informed that the Navy was sitting on the key proof, their lawyers allege. Civil Beat.
Sheriffs enforce eviction of Hawaii Kai tenants with record of refusing to pay rent. Almost two months after a judge ordered a Hawaii Kai home be returned to its rightful owner, deputy sheriffs enforced the eviction Thursday morning. Hawaii News Now.
The LDS Church buys old Kam Drive-In lot for $60M. A multi-million dollar purchase by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is giving the property new life and the community is watching closely. KHON2.
16 gambling machines, $5K recovered in Nanakuli game room bust. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, around 6 p.m., HPD executed a search warrant on a property on Auyong Rd. in Nanakuli. KHON2.
Hawaii Island
Eruption episode 33 begins at Kilauea with soaring lava fountains. Lava fountains are shooting over 500 feet (150 meters) into the air, and a large plume of gas and steam is rising up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) above the ground. KITV4.
Two Big Island schools have malfunctioning fire alarms. There are now just two schools across the state whose fire alarm systems are “malfunctioning,” but still operational. Both schools are on Hawaii Island, Hilo Intermediate School and Pahoa High and Intermediate School, are now on the BOE’s fire watch system. They’ll rely on witnesses to spread alerts about fires. It’s an improvement from 18 months ago, when 22 public schools statewide were without working fire alarms. Hawaii News Now.
Proposal to change qualifications for Public Works director advances. A proposed amendment to the Hawaii County Charter that would broaden the qualifications for the director of Public Works is headed to the full County Council after receiving a favorable recommendation Tuesday from the Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee. Tribune-Herald.
Prison warden wins 10-year legal battle to get job back. Kulani Correctional Facility warden Ruth Forbes was fired after being accused of management misconduct, but now she is being restored with potentially more than a million dollars in back pay. Hawaii News Now.
Preparing for a disaster: Multiple agencies stage emergency response simulation at Hilo airport. The simulated disaster took place on the airport’s tarmac between the Civil Air Patrol hangar and the old airport control tower. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
County seeks feedback on plans for Lahaina’s commercial core; open house Sept. 30. Maui County officials are using community input gathered from a series of workshops and open houses to develop the Rebuild Lahaina Plan — one of 40 projects included in the county’s larger Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan. Maui News.
State water commission takes fire for ‘inaction’ amid West Maui water crisis. The state Commission on Water Resource Management heard testimony Tuesday from West Maui residents frustrated with the commission’s “inaction” in managing delivery of water to residents and farmers in a region beset by a severe drought. Maui Now.
New program prepares Maui residents for jobs at power stations. Hawaiian Electric recently recognized the first set of graduates of its Maui Power Pathways program, which helps prepare participants for direct pathways into the workforce. Maui News.
County, private operators take steps to bring composting back to Maui. County officials say efforts are underway to bring composting back to Maui. The first phase of an Organics Processing Facility received funding this year and is already taking shape at the Central Maui Landfill. Maui Now.
‘Come On, Trees!’ Lahaina Nonprofit Plants A Natural Firebreak. Kaiāulu Initiatives, a grassroots nonprofit, aims to revitalize Lahaina’s landscape and prevent future wildfires by planting native plants and trees. Civil Beat.
Kauai
Night Football Games Return To Kaua‘i With A Plan To Protect Native Birds. Students stationed outside of stadiums to watch the lights for disoriented shearwater and petrel chicks have satisfied federal environmental requirements. Civil Beat.
$10M grant funds a second MRI machine for Kauaʻi. The Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea has received a $10.6 million grant for its MRI suite, which will bring the number of MRI machines on the island up to two. Hawaii Public Radio. Kauai Now
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