Lawmakers grill ag chief over lack of biosecurity progress, gender inequality evident in high school career prep, Maui council passes water measures, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lawmakers grill state Agriculture Department for not spending $10M biosecurity fund. In an informational briefing last week, Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole noted that the department has spent only about $1 million of that funding so far.  He then criticized DOA Chair Sharon Hurd for not filling any of the 44 biosecurity-related jobs built into the fund. He also accused the department of misleading the public about how much money had actually been spent. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald.

Additional inspection requirements aimed at preventing increasing spread of invasive species. U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, both Democrats from Hawaiʻi, are battling serious threats to the state’s agriculture, environment and economy by reintroducing the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Protection Act. Big Island Now.

Crisis fund access stirs feud between HTA and DBEDT.  The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s attempt to dip into another $5 million from its Tourism Special Emergency Fund after declaring a continued tourism emergency related to the softness following the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires has been blocked by Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka. Star-Advertiser.

Youth advocate for more local food, climate action this legislative session.  Many of the young people meeting with lawmakers are a part of the Climate Future Forum and want to see the state take more action on climate change.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Connors speaks about Trump transition, future for U.S. Attorney's office in Hawaii. Clare Connors spent more than two decades delivering justice across the country, most recently as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii appointed by former President Biden and approved in 2022. KITV4.

Hawaii wildfire risks lead to demand for more sheep. As the state looks for innovative ways to prevent wildfires, Hawaii’s struggling livestock industry may be part of the solution. Hawaii News Now.

Girls Are Losing Out In Hawai‘i’s Push To Train Kids For High-Paying Jobs. Career-based education has rapidly gained traction in Hawaiʻi schools, but not all programs are attracting boys and girls equally.  Civil Beat.

What The Data Shows About Gender Inequality In High School Career Prep. Use Civil Beat’s searchable database to see how your school is doing when it comes to closing gender gaps in career preparation program. Civil Beat.

Here's why this year's Point in Time Count will not survey unsheltered people. Partners In Care Director Laura Thielen said her group and its partner on the neighbor islands, Bridging The Gap, are only mandated to do the count every other year. She said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development changed its funding cycle to a two-year term. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Limits On Honolulu Landfills Could Change After Opposition to Wahiawā Site. A bill proposed by state Rep. Sean Quinlan would bar siting landfills over aquifers but loosen restrictions against placing them near communities. Civil Beat.

DPP software upgrade delayed due to technical snag, city says. The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s upgrade to its electronic plan review software for building permits has suffered a delay, DPP announced. Star-Advertiser.

Downtown business improvement district is proposed. Downtown Honolulu, once bustling with office workers who frequented eateries at lunchtime, has seen a downturn in office space occupancy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and needs revitalization, say businesses and developers. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu man faces federal charges for allegedly smuggling fish. Shane Takasane faces federal charges after he allegedly ran an illegal aquarium fish smuggling operation with non-native, endangered species and protected Hawaii reef fish for sale starting at $300 each. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

12 motorists arrested for DUI during week of Jan. 1-5 on Big Island roads. Hawai‘i Police Department officers during the first week of the new year continued their crackdown on motorists who drive under the influence of an intoxicant on Big Island roadways, arresting 12 drivers for DUI from Jan. 1-5. Four of those motorists were involved in traffic crashes. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui County Council passes bills to ease water use. Bill 180 allows farmers to expand the storage capacity of their private water catchment and storage tank system from 15,000 to 30,000 gallons in agricultural, residential and rural districts.  Bill 146 could allow existing water customers to have a farm or ohana dwelling without obtaining an additional water meter. Maui News.

Committee referral item sparks discord among Maui County Council members. It was mostly smooth sailing for the Maui County Council’s first regularly scheduled meeting of 2025, but then decorum hit choppy waters as the Friday agenda drifted to a planned referral of three bills to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee. Maui Now.

December housing median price nudges close to all-time record in Maui County. The median sales price of a single-family home in Maui County rose to $1,374,238 in December 2024, a 14.5% increase over the same month in 2023 and just 2.4% less than the all-time highest median price of $1,408,287, set in September 2024. Maui Now.

Mokulele Airlines resumes flights after safety pause, some cancellations remain. According to Mokulele Airlines’ website, it states that only certain flights have been cancelled. KITV4.

Kauai

State urges more biosecurity measures to protect flocks from avian flu. With low levels of the H5 influenza found in the wastewater samples on Kauaʻi, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division urges commercial poultry operations and backyard bird owners to increase biosecurity measures to protect their flocks. Kauai Now.

GoFarm offering course to Kauaʻi residents wanting to become next crop of farmers. This year, no prior experience is required to join the six-month AgXcel course. It is open to anybody who has the passion for learning and for sustainable agriculture and growing food, program manager Lily Nguyen said. Kauai Now.

Big Island man free after 25 years in prison for rape, murder he didn't commit, youth sue state over climate change, tourism agency seeks to curb visitors' bad behavior, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Big Island man free after decades imprisoned for murder, rape he didn’t commit. Judge overturns Ian Schweitzer’s conviction in Dana Ireland’s rape, murder. A judge on Tuesday ordered that a Puna man who spent 26 years of his life behind bars for perhaps the most notorious murder in Hawaii’s history “be released from his shackles immediately.” Tribune-Herald. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press.  Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

How A Longtime Politician Became The Chair Of The House Finance Committee. Rep. Kyle Yamashita, who is known for his quiet nature, is leading one of the most powerful committees in the Legislature. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Ag Director Plans To ‘Go Big’ If Confirmed. The department's funding has become cause for concern after losing a special revenue stream. Lawmakers say they are listening, but they expect the next director to ask for more. Civil Beat.

Freshman lawmakers aim to rebuild Hawaii’s GOP. Freshman state Sen. Brenton Awa — who is embroiled in a stalemate with the Senate’s only other Republican over who will lead their two-member caucus — wants to reinvigorate and rebrand Hawaii’s Republican Party by helping disenfranchised, working-class families in his rural district on the Windward side of Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Fourteen young people in Hawaii who are plaintiffs in a climate change lawsuit against the state are preparing for their day in court. Ranging between the ages of 8 to 20, they call the case Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation. Hawaii News Now.

HTA: ‘Room for improvement’ in efforts to discourage bad behavior among visitors. The Hawaii Tourism Authority is responding to incidents bad behavior among visitors that have gone viral on social media. And they’re acknowledging the need for more education. Hawaii News Now.

DOE: $2.4B in repair, deferred maintenance backlog. From roofing to interior and exterior construction, the Department of Education said its price tag for repairs and deferred maintenance has climbed to a hefty amount. KHON2.

Why School Enrollment Declines Are A ‘Significant Concern’ In Hawaii. Hawaii is on track to have fewer students enrolled in state-run schools by 2027 than at any point since the early years of statehood.  Civil Beat.

This program has diverted scores of mentally ill people from jail to treatment. It’s also saved millions. A program that pushes mentally ill defendants into community treatment instead of jail has saved taxpayers millions of dollars — and it’s still just in the testing phase. Advocates, judges and lawmakers say the results prove it’s time to beef up the program. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Report condemns Hawaii’s policies on sale of flavored tobacco products. Hawaii received an “F” grade for its policies on flavored tobacco products, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

New Park Rangers To Serve As Beach Sleuths. A set of mobile cops will fan out across Oahu's parks, looking for the rogue operators that are driving residents crazy. Civil Beat.

Handi-Van to improve service under DOJ deal. Following a public complaint over the inability to easily book rides on the city’s prime paratransit service, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday it entered into a settlement agreement with the City and County of Honolulu to improve the operations of TheHandi-Van. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Secretary of the Army addresses Red Hill concerns, but residents remain dissatisfied. The Secretary of the Army is on Oahu connecting with military members to try to improve their quality of life, but some Red Hill families were not satisfied. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth is in Hawaii to focus on aging infrastructure and quality of life issues. Hawaii News Now.

Former Kamehameha Schools head appointed Bishop Museum interim CEO.  Former Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate CEO Dee Jay Mailer has been appointed interim president and CEO of Bishop Museum. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Bill to require County Council approval of time extensions postponed. A bill that would require County Council authorization of time extensions to zoning ordinances was temporarily set aside Tuesday after an amendment to the measure. West Hawaii Today.

Bills would limit BLNR’s power over lease extensions. Big Island lawmakers are hopeful they can get a struggling program to revitalize parts of Hilo back on track. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi Land Trust names new steward, educator for Māhukona on Big Island. Keone Emeliano has joined the Hawaiʻi Land Trust as the Māhukona steward and educator.  Māhukona on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island is the center for traditional navigation for the entire Pacific Ocean. Big Island Now.

Maui

2 arrested, others rally outside Waiehu land at center of Native Hawaiian ownership debate. Two people were charged with trespassing while others rallied holding signs Tuesday outside Waiehu land at the center of an ownership dispute between Native Hawaiians and nonprofit Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.

$198,000 grant allows for launch of Native Hawaiian Owner-Builder project on Molokaʻi. Hawai‘i Community Lending announced grant awards totaling $1.3 million that aim to increase economic stability on Moloka‘i by helping the island’s native Hawaiian community to actualize affordable homeownership.  Maui Now.

Feeding and careless driving cause undue risk to nēnē population on Maui. A female nēnē was struck and killed by a passenger truck on Haleakalā Highway near the Dairy Road/Keolani Place junction in Kahului last Tuesday, according to state officials.  Maui Now.

Attorney: judge’s decision in case involving HNN is a win for First Amendment. A federal judge has ruled HNN Chief Investigative Reporter Lynn Kawano doesn’t have to provide Maui County attorneys with information she gathered while covering the case of a Maui police officer who is now behind bars. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i planning commission meeting sparks Coco Palms revelations. After an eye-opening hearing on Tuesday, the County of Kaua‘i Planning Commission ruled in favor of Coco Palms hotel developers and shut down a petition to void their permits due to lack of progress. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

Nagramada appointed head of Island School. Nancy Nagramada will assume the head of school duties at Island School effective July 1, states an announcement by the school. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i public schools to receive $3.1M in federal funds. A federal funding mechanism that provides money for elementary and secondary education is projected to deliver more than $3 million to the County of Kaua‘i. Garden Island.