Officials question readiness to reopen Hawaii to travelers, Ige to pick Supreme Court justice, film and TV production restarting, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Hawaii Supreme Court building ©2020 All Hawaii News

Gov. David Ige Mulling Over His First Hawaii Supreme Court Nominee. The governor’s choice will likely be vetted by the Senate in November. Civil Beat.

State Supreme Court Nominees to be Considered. Gov. David Ige has received a list of four nominees from the Judicial Selection Commission for Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Big Island Now.

Governor’s office seeks input on nominees for state Supreme Court. The Judicial Selection Commission sent Ige a list of four names for associate justice on the Supreme Court. The names include: Todd W. Eddins, David M. Forman, Darolyn Lendio Heim and Benjamin E. Lowenthal. Hawaii News Now.

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Contact Tracing Program Continues To Struggle, Despite Additional Staff. The Hawaii Department of Heath’s troubled contact tracing program is reporting new issues, even after an influx of new staff. Hawaii Public Radio.

Trans-Pacific travel: Ready for prime time? Kim says no. With just two weeks remaining to get it all together, Hawaii’s pretest trans-Pacific travel plan is not ready for prime time, Mayor Harry Kim said Tuesday, a sentiment echoed by two recent travelers to the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

Mayor Kawakami wants all visitors to take a COVID-19 test after arriving on Kaua'i Mayor Kawakami sent a proposal for a post-arrival test program to Governor David Ige that would require visitors to get tested within 72 hours after arrival in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine, if Governor Ige grants his permission. KITV4.

Councilman calls on the governor to prove Hawaii is ready to welcome back visitors. A city council member and some residents are calling on the governor to show the state can handle the launch of Hawaii’s trans-pacific travel program. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Prepares For Tourism Increase On October 15. Plans to carefully reopen Hawaiʻi to tourism were discussed on Monday during a virtual meeting of the Hawaiʻi House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness. Big Island Video News.

More hotels announce reopening dates after pre-travel testing takes effect. More hotels have announced plans to reopen after the Oct. 15 pre-travel testing program takes effect, but even with more rooms online, some in the lodging industry are keeping low expectations on the number of visitors. KHON2.

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State: More than 40,000 Hawaii residents have lost private health insurance amid pandemic. According to the state Department of Human Services, enrollment in the state Med-Quest or Medicaid program has jumped 13% to a record 376,000 residents ― from 333,000 in September 2019. Hawaii News Now.

How to register for the Department of Education's virtual job fair on Wednesday. The DOE is looking to fill roughly 400 teacher positions for the current school year at a virtual job fair taking place on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. KITV4.

Despite $420M loan, Hawaiian Airlines job cuts loom. Hawaiian Airlines got a lifeline worth up to $420 million on Tuesday from the Treasury Department, but the CARES Act loan alone won’t stave off the more than 2,500 job reductions that are anticipated at the state’s largest airline. Star-Advertiser.

COVID-19 Is Revealing Problems With How Hawaii’s Government Uses Data. There doesn’t seem to be a clear data strategy for the virus response. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Film, TV Production Restarting Despite Pandemic.There are definite signs of life in Hawai'i's film industry. Season three of "Magnum PI" is underway, and other productions are shooting on Hawai'i island and Maui. Hawaii Public Radio.

State plan would dish out free restaurant meals for the unemployed. Unemployed residents and struggling restaurants in Hawaii could soon share $67 million in federal coronavirus aid under a new state plan. Star-Advertiser.

A new program could allow those out of work to eat at restaurants for free. A new program is in the works to help Hawaii’s jobless families and restaurants. Those out of work would eat for free and the federal government would pick up the tab. Hawaii News Now.

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PBS Hawaii President and CEO Leslie Wilcox stepping down. Wilcox, a lifelong Hawaii resident who has been at the helm of the public television station since 2007, will relocate to San Antonio to be with an ailing family member. Star-Advertiser.

Leslie Wilcox stepping down as president, CEO of PBS Hawaii after 14 years. Wilcox leaves behind a 48-year legacy of shaping local media in the islands. Hawaii News Now.

Leslie Wilcox to step down as President and CEO of PBS Hawaii. After 14 years, the President and CEO of PBS Hawai’i, Leslie Wilcox, announced she will be stepping down from her position. KHON2.

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VIRUS TRACKER — Sept. 29: 87 New COVID-19 Cases And 2 Deaths. Hawaii health officials reported 87 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including three in Hawaii County, two on Maui, and two out of state. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Group of bar owners planning to sue city and Mayor for keeping bars closed. The Hawaii Bar Owner's Association says it is planning legal action to force city to let them open again. KITV4.

HPD Crime-Solving Record Is The Worst Its Been In At Least 40 Years. HPD won’t talk about it, but FBI data shows Honolulu has one of the worst records in the country when it comes to solving property crimes as well as violent crimes. Civil Beat.

TheHandi-Van users want fare increase delayed. Testifiers and users of TheHandi-Van voiced support for increasing the fare to ride, but said it should not be implemented now when many people are struggling from the COVID-19 outbreak in Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

Liliha Healthcare Center tracks COVID-19 cluster with 27 infections reported. The Liliha Healthcare Center reported Tuesday night that 21 residents and six staff have tested positive for coronavirus. Hawaii News Now.

Liliha nursing home hit with coronavirus outbreak. A Liliha nursing home is scrambling to contain a COVID-19 outbreak that has so far sickened 21 residents and six staff members. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Army: State Needs To Renew Lease For Big Island Training Area. Artillery is playing an increasingly prominent role in global conflicts, but opponents say the training there threatens environment and community health. Civil Beat.

$2.2 Million For Ahalanui Park, Taken By Lava In 2018. The new FEMA money may be used to restore the park at its current location, or at an alternate site, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz says. Big Island Video News.

$2.2M heading to Hawaii County to restore park destroyed in 2018 eruption. More federal funding is heading to Hawaii Island to continue recovery efforts from the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Hawaii News Now.

Hopeful in Honokaa: Businesses struggle with lack of visitors, eye Oct. 15 reopening. A mandatory 14-day quarantine for trans-Pacific travelers has all but eliminated out-of-state visitors to the former plantation town, and many business owners wonder how long they can hang on. Tribune-Herald.

Palani Road work nearing completion. Palani Road is anticipated to return to two-lane travel between Kailua Pier and Kuakini Highway next week. West Hawaii Today.

Kim still hopeful breakwater study can start soon. An investigation into whether alterations to the Hilo Bay breakwater can improve the bay’s water quality might still go forward next month despite COVID-related disruptions. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Island Voters Will Decide 16 County Charter Amendments. The issues include County Council term lengths and giving the council and certain boards more disciplinary powers. Civil Beat.

Maui

Temptation Island Starts Filming This Week, Two Other Productions Planned on Maui. Maui Film Commissioner Tracy Bennett provided an update on the production of the reality TV show, Temptation Island, which starts filming this week at the Andaz Maui at Wailea resort. Maui Now.

Two more projects to film on Maui. Two more productions will film in paradise against the backdrop of the pandemic, joining the reality show “Temptation Island,” which starts filming this week on Maui. Maui News.

Hospital worker who was critical of facility’s administration fired. An outspoken Maui Memorial Medical Center nurse who has criticized the hospital’s handling of two COVID-19 outbreaks as well as its virus protocols for staff and patients has been terminated. Maui News.

Community rallies around longtime Haiku teacher. Monica Nakahashi placed on leave while investigation pending. Maui News.

Kauai

Mayor: Kaua’i aims for upscale tourism. Mayor Derek Kawakami participated in a five-person-panel, Zoom discussion Tuesday, “Restarting Hawai‘i’s Tourism Industry.” Garden Island.

Planning Department front counter closed. The county Planning Department’s front counter at the Kapule Building in the Lihu‘e Civic Center is closed now through Monday, Oct. 12, while the area undergoes construction. Garden Island.

Cases not infectious while traveling. Investigation the state Department of Health made into the two active COVID-19 cases on Kaua‘i gives officials confidence neither was infectious during travel. Garden Island.

Sunscreen oxybenzone ban advanced to protect coral, 100 attend assisted suicide forum, Hawaii's county workers highest paid, Legislature mulls Affordable Care Act, Honolulu mayor pushes for general excise tax surcharge, spectacular lava poses danger to onlookers, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii coral © 2017 All Hawaii News

A proposed ban on sunscreen products containing oxybenzone, which includes most of the sun protection items currently on store shelves, was approved by the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee on Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection on Tuesday advanced a bill that would prohibit the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical oxybenzone. Garden Island.

The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection today advanced House Bill 600, introduced by Representative Nicole Lowen (District 6, Kailua-Kona, Holualoa), which would prohibit the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical oxybenzone. Maui Now.

About 100 people attended a forum on physician-assisted suicide Tuesday in the state Capitol auditorium. Attendees heard details of House Bill 201 (Relating to Aid in Dying), listened to experiences from patients and doctors, and had some of their questions answered about the matter. Star-Advertiser.

Congress is taking steps to repeal part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act commonly referred to as Obamacare.   Hawai’i lawmakers are also advancing legislation to protect residents who might lose their medical coverage. Hawaii Public Radio.

Concerned about the dissolution of the Affordable Care Act, state lawmakers are introducing bills to merge into Hawaii law the consumer protections they consider the best parts of the federal program. Associated Press.

Lawmakers Debate Bills To Make It Easier To Evict People. Housing Committee Chairman Tom Brower says he hasn’t decided about measures to amend the landlord-tenant code. Civil Beat.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has decided to personally pay for her trip to Syria, following new stories about her trip sponsor being a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard says she will “personally reimburse” all the costs of her recent week-long trip to Syria. Civil Beat.

New data released on Tuesday reveals county workers in Hawaii make the highest average wages in the nation, compared to employees from counties in other states. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii Democratic Party is pulling its business from First Hawaiian Bank in support of Dakota pipeline protests. Hawaii Public Radio.

A former Hawaii State Supreme Court associate justice has died. Justice Mario Ramil was sworn in in 1993, and served for nearly a decade. KHON2.

Oahu

If state lawmakers will agree to extend the half-percent excise tax surcharge on Oahu to provide desperately needed funding for the city’s rail project, the city would be willing to share the tax revenues from that surcharge with the state, according to a pitch made Tuesday by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and City Council Chairman Ron Menor. Star-Advertiser.

Funding of police chief’s severance raises dispute: Does the Police Commission have the authority to spend HPD money? Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric announced Tuesday it has revived three major solar projects on Oahu that it terminated last year not long before the company that was supposed to build them filed for bankruptcy. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $9.8 million military contract to a joint venture between Hawaii contractors Aulii Construction and Nan Inc., for work at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

The developer of a long-planned condominium project at the southern slopes of Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu is moving ahead with its development after filing building permits totaling $22 million. Pacific Business News.

A recent approval to build a seventh condominium tower at Ward Village is now on hold after the project’s developer filed objections to a few conditions imposed by a state agency regulating development in Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

A man who got sick with Hepatitis A during last year's outbreak is demanding money from Genki Sushi and the chain's food suppliers, and he isn't alone. Lawyers are embroiled in dozens of cases related to the outbreak, including 3 class-action lawsuits. Hawaii News Now.

Maintenance issues persist in aging dorms at University of Hawaii at Manoa. KHON2.

New details about the investigation into the slaughter of 15 protected Laysan albatrosses at Kaena Point are contained in court documents filed by an attorney for one of the defendants. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

The chief of the Hawaii Fire Department and at least two department staff flew to the state Capitol this week to testify in favor of a bill that would add an extra ambulance in Puna. Tribune-Herald.

Just months after Hawaii County celebrated an $11.6 million upgrade to Mauna Kea Recreation Area, the county announced Tuesday the park has been closed until further notice. West Hawaii Today.

Scientists discovered they're dealing with not one but two strains of deadly fungus obliterating Ohi'a Lehua trees on the Big Island. KITV.

VIDEO: Spectacular “Lava Hose” Continues Plunge Into Sea. Big Island Video News.

A long, lateral crack in sea cliffs built by Kilauea Volcano has scientists worried about a second collapse into the ocean. Star-Advertiser.

Authorities are cracking down on visitors entering an off-limits area inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to get a closer look at the lava spewing into the ocean. National Park Service law enforcement officers have cited 28 people since a large delta collapsed a month ago, forming a fire hose of lava. Hawaii News Now.

Donation brings companion to Kona’s most famous, loneliest donkey. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

An empty bunk bed and two mattresses lying side by side on the floor — only steps away from the toilet — is a common sight in Maui Community Correctional Center cells originally designed for two inmates. Maui News.

Chancellor urges Legislature to establish $2.5M financial aid fund. Maui News.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management announced it is soliciting grant applications/proposals from the public for the use of available funds from the DEM Recycling Grant, Fiscal Year 2018. MauiWatch.

Kauai

Three free workshops on food safety and spoilage are being offered around the island as a part of a statewide effort to promote safe and healthy local food in schools. Garden Island.

Anthony Morita is new community relations sergeant. Garden Island.

Ceded lands bills moving forward

With oral arguments in a U.S. Supreme Court case just weeks away, committees in both houses of the Legislature advanced bills today reining in the state administration’s ability to sell ceded lands.

The alii (chiefs) of the Royal Order of King Kamehameha I, wearing their trademark red and yellow capes, dominated the front row of committee rooms and were among the dozens who testified in support of a moratorium on the sale of Ceded lands.

Ceded lands are lands once owned by the Hawaiian monarchy but ceded to the state to be held in trust for Hawaiians. Ceded lands comprise 1.2 million acres of land on all Hawaiian islands - about 29 percent of the total land mass of the state and more than 90 percent of state-owned lands.

Eight bills were being heard in their first committees today, ranging from an outright ban of the sale of the lands (HB 1667, HB 1805, HB 1841, HB 902, SB 1085, SB 475) to the requirement that the Legislature approve each deal by a two-thirds majority (SB 1677, SB 476).

All of the House bills moved forward unanimously, with HB 1805 further modified to include the two-thirds requirement favored by the Senate.

At most immediate issue is the Lingle administration’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a Hawaii Supreme Court opinion that placed a moratorium on the state selling ceded lands until an agreement could be worked out between the state and the Native Hawaiian people. That case is scheduled to be heard in Washington D.C. on Feb. 25.

Attorney General Mark Bennett, one of the few opponents testifying about the bills, said passing legislation now is wrong from both a legal and a political perspective.

“The bill raises the potential for additional federal court lawsuits against the state by persons oppose3d to government programs that provide benefits to Native Hawaiians,” Bennett said. “We also believe that it makes sense as a policy matter for the state to retain flexibility as to the use and management of its land.”

Clyde Namuo, administrator for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which is battling the state administration in the lawsuit, said he and Bennett have worked side-by-side preserving Native Hawaiian rights in the past. But now, he said, he’s reaching a new understanding.

“Eight years ago when I joined OHA, I wondered why Native Hawaiians seemed so angry,” Namuo said. “Listening today to this discussion, I finally get it.”

Time to comment on the Superferry

The clock has started ticking on public comments about the environ-
mental impact of the Superferry. The state Department of Transportation today issued its Environmental Impact Statement, which found some negative impacts, but also suggested ways to mitigate them.

Comment period ends Feb. 23. Written comments should be snail-mailed or faxed to:

Katherine Kealoha, Director,
Office of Environmental Quality Control,
235 S. Beretania St., Suite 702,
Honolulu , HI 96813,
fax 808-586-4186;

and

Michael D. Formby, Deputy Director,
Department of Transportation Harbors Division,
79 S. Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI 96813,
fax 808-587-3652.

A Superferry spokesman said in a statement this afternoon that the company will continue to work to make its ship safe.

"The draft EIS combined with the data from over nine months of reliable service and 708 voyages provides a clear picture of our commitment to responsible operations and Environmental awareness. We remain committed to working with the state to address impacts raised by the draft EIS," the statement says.

Meanwhile the Hawaii Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on whether the EIS is enough: See a previous allhawaii.news report.

Superferry: No Special Treatment

The Legislature didn’t craft a law specifically to bail out Hawaii Superferry after a court ruling last year temporarily grounded it, the Attorney General’s Office told a skeptical state Supreme Court today.

The five-member court took the matter under advisement, not saying when a ruling would be issued following about an hour of oral argument this morning.

At issue is Act 2, passed by the Legislature after an August 2007 Supreme Court ruling that required an environmental assessment before the Superferry could continue its interisland transport. Once the law was signed by Gov. Linda Lingle, a lower court vacated the Supreme Court’s injunction and the Superferry recommenced operations.

If the law was written strictly to benefit a “closed class,” it would be an unconstitutional abuse of legislative powers, said Isaac Hall, attorney for the Sierra Club, one of three groups filing the lawsuit. Hall contends the law was “conceived, cut and tailored” for the Superferry.

“The Superferry at that point could have appealed to the highest court … instead they appealed and we use that a little loosely, to the Legislature … They could have appealed to you; instead they appealed to the Legislature,” Hall said. “You as the highest court determined we were entitled to an (environmental assessment), and the Legislature can’t take that away from us.”

But the state maintains that Act 2 wasn’t created to benefit a closed class, because the law could apply to other businesses besides the Superferry. In theory, other high-speed ferry transports could come to Hawaii and benefit from the law, said First Deputy Attorney General Lisa Ginoza.

“The appeal is addressing the Legislature’s ability to deal with the important issues of the day,” Ginoza said. “The Legislature speaks on behalf of all of the people of the state … It’s perfectly within their authority to do so.”

But court justices seemed to be having a hard time grasping the concept that Act 2, created in a special session so soon after their ruling, could have been created to benefit any entity besides the Superferry.

“All other businesses have to comply with Act 343 (requiring an environmental assessment), correct?” asked Justice Paula A. Nakayama. “And how many business does Act 2 apply to?”

“Is there any entity that would fit that description except for Superferry?” asked Justice Simeon R. Acoba Jr.

Tough questions by the Supreme Court are just the latest the Hawaii Superferry has had to endure. A legislative auditor report issued yesterday said Act 2 undermines the state’s ability to protect the environment and could set a dangerous precedent.