Hawaii heavily dependent on Medicaid funding, Honolulu yanks TV house-flipper celebs building permit, marriage scam suspected in missing Maui woman case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

How possible federal funding cuts to Medicaid could impact Hawaiʻi. Half of Hawaiʻi’s children and roughly a third of residents rely on Medicaid for health coverage. About a third of births in the state are covered by Medicaid.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Former officials urge closed-door Senate hearings on Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief. Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. Associated Press.

UH Contract Specifically Hides President Search Details From The Public. The University of Hawaii Board of Regents' contract with a national search firm includes a "special condition" giving control of candidate information to the company. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines employee speaks out on termination over cultural tattoo. Tracy Sielega's termination letter stated that the company was unaware that she had a tattoo after she got it in May 2024. The letter stated that her hand tattoo was noticed outside of work at a non-company event, which prompted an investigation and follow-up. The letter also said, "Disposable gloves are not considered an appropriate uniform piece." Hawaii Public Radio.

Family of missing Hawaii woman hires attorney. The family of Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi missing since Nov. 11 has hired a criminal defense attorney after the Los Angeles police chief said she entered Mexico voluntarily and amid a report that she may have been involved in an alleged immigration scam marriage with an Argentine man. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii reports 15th travel-related dengue case this year. Of the 15 travel-related dengue cases reported this year, 10 have been on Oahu, four on Maui and one on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Yanks ‘Renovation Aloha’ Permit After Civil Beat Exposes Illegal Work. HGTV hosts Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama are facing backlash because some of their speedy projects lacked proper permits. Civil Beat.

Will Exemptions In Honolulu’s Empty Homes Tax Bill Water Down Its Effect? As the long-discussed bill nears its final vote, some worry the 17 exemptions that helped it gain support also dilute the bill’s efficacy. Civil Beat.

City to begin fielding names for Ocean Safety Commission. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration says the process has begun to find candidates to serve on the new commission that will oversee the city’s Ocean Safety Department. Star-Advertiser.

Police brutality suit delayed until 2026. A father and son suing the city after they were allegedly assaulted by Honolulu police officers during a New Year’s Day-long pursuit of an attempted murder suspect are “extremely frustrated” by delays in their case, according to their attorney. Star-Advertiser.

State Worker Charged In Monk Seal Pup Death Repeatedly Let Dogs Off Leash. Lesley Macpherson, herself a longtime Hawaiian monk seal volunteer, remains on the job. Other seal advocates are calling for her removal. Civil Beat.

Closures announced at Oahu’s only public gun range. All public firearm ranges will be closed at the Koko Head Shooting Complex (KHSC) weekdays from Dec. 9-20. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu considers rideshare initiative aimed at reducing strain on Oahu’s emergency services. The Nurse Navigator program would enlist the help of rideshare drivers to shuttle patients who aren’t having an emergency to an urgent care or doctor’s office. Hawaii News Now.

EMS stresses e-bike safety due to increase in injuries. In the first 11 months of this year, EMS responded to 206 injuries related to e-bike and e-motorcycle riders. During the same time, EMS also responded to 163 injuries related to pedal bicycle riders. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Big Island students compete against 75 global teams at NASA challenge. Several students from Kealakehe High School’s engineering team are gearing up to take part in NASA’s prestigious Human Exploration Rover Challenge. KHON2.

13 motorists arrested for DUI week of Nov. 18-24. Big Island police had made 873 DUI arrests so far this year by the end of that week, a 2.95% increase compared with 848 during the same period last year. Big Island Now.

Maui

US Education Secretary to travel to Maui to ‘uplift’ academic recovery.  The U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is schedule to travel to Maui on Friday to participate in various roundtable discussions across the island. Hawaii News Now.

DPW leader John Smith selected as County’s Office of Recovery Administrator. Mayor Richard Bissen announced the selection of John Smith, a leader with the County of Maui’s Department of Public Works, to serve as the new administrator of the County’s Office of Recovery.  Maui Now.

Maui visitor arrivals lag, but metrics point to stronger construction, housing sectors. Visitors to Maui island lag behind by pre-pandemic arrivals in 2019, according to a fourth quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report released by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Maui Now.

Environmental organization receives $200K grant toward new seed bank on Lānaʻi . A plan to begin building a seed bank on Lānaʻi will start to take shape this week. The shipping container that will serve as a storage facility has just arrived on the Pineapple Isle. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Emily Ishida is new Executive on Aging. Emily Ishida was sworn in Tuesday as the county’s new Executive on Aging for the Agency on Elderly Affairs. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

USDA awards grants to 17 Hawai‘i projects, including 1 on Kaua’i, to support food system infrastructure. A federal program aimed at strengthening middle-of-the-supply chain operations and local food systems by supporting processing, manufacturing, storing, wholesaling and distribution of agricultural products announced Wednesday that it is awarding nearly $3 million to 17 Hawai‘i projects. Kauai Now.

Reality TV reno stars build without Honolulu permits, $150M DHHL project goes to developer with ties to agency, Kauai councilwoman sworn in despite ongoing court challenge, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Has Tulsi Gabbard Bid Hawaii A Last Aloha? Tulsi Gabbard owes her political career to Hawaii, where she served in elective office at the county, state and federal level. But she appears to have largely left its shores behind as her national profile ascended. Civil Beat.

USDA calls for 2.3% hike in SNAP benefits to reflect food costs in islands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday proposed a 2.3% increase to benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often still referred to by many as food stamps, for Hawai‘i to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of food in the state.The proposal would result in an extra estimated $40 a month for a family of four receiving benefits in Hawai‘i. Big Island Now.

Changes in procedure, short staffing causing long lines at state benefits offices. The state Department of Human Services said calls to its offices jumped from 17,000 in September to more than 40,000 in November. In October, DHS said it’s processed 9,100 new applicants as well as 10,000 recertifications, so workers are now doing twice the amount of work as before.  KHON2.

NAVFAC Hawaiʻi awards $81M contract for waterfront projects. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Hawaiʻi has awarded an $81 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification to Moffatt & Nichol – Burns & McDonnell Hawaiʻi in Honolulu. The contract will fund engineering services for various waterfront projects across Hawaiʻi and other South Pacific Islands. Maui Now.

Oahu

For ‘Renovation Aloha,’ Permit Violations Are The Cost Of Doing Business. Husband and wife home flippers Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama have a low tolerance for delays. Civil Beat.

Construction At Turtle Bay Development Stays On Hold For Now. The building of a big new high-end development at Turtle Bay on Oahu’s North Shore will remain on pause as the developers respond to comments on its plans made during a review by the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting. Utah-based developer Areté Collective first applied for the permits nearly two years ago.  Civil Beat.

Community demands training moratorium after elevated lead levels found. In February, the U.S. Marine Corps took two dozen soil samples across 3,000 feet of shoreline by the Puuloa Range Training Facility in Ewa Beach to test for toxic chemicals. Now in a draft report, the military tests found elevated levels of heavy metals. Hawaii News Now.

Local crime boss’s cause of death still a mystery. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Hawaii, announced Tuesday that no determination of foul play or suicide has been made in the death of Honolulu businessman and crime boss Michael J. Miske Jr. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

A Suicide At The Oahu Jail Prompts A Lawsuit By The Inmate’s Family. Two lawyers involved in the criminal case against Jimuel Gatioan say they warned the jail he was suicidal before he hanged himself. Civil Beat.

Oahu restaurant owner must pay workers $158K for wage violations. The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday announced the owner of Domo Cafe restaurants in Honolulu must pay more than $158,000 in back wages to 14 workers. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

DHHL project goes to developer with ties to the agency’s leader. The work, estimated to cost around $150 million, represents the first major project for the year-old company led by Patti Tancayo, who spent over two decades working with DHHL Director Kali Watson running a nonprofit affordable-housing development firm before Watson was appointed in early 2023 to head DHHL. Star-Advertiser.

New leadership and faces on Hawaiʻi County Council. The Hawaiʻi County Council has a new look as members were sworn into office this week — and decided on new leadership. Hawaii Public Radio.

New mayor suspends plan to charge admission at Hilo zoo. The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation announced Tuesday that it is suspending plans to introduce admission fees to the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo  pending further review. KHON2 . Tribune-Herald.

Harbor dredging project pau. Boaters are in deep water at last after a months-long dredging project at Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo wrapped up last week. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Maui

Project formerly known as Wailea 670 to consult with Maui County ʻŌiwi Resources Department. A contentious and complicated proposed luxury home development project in South Maui may need to meet with the Maui County Department of ʻŌiwi Resources before going any further.  Maui News.

Residents encouraged to attend Wednesday Disaster Recovery Community Meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Disaster Recovery Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. Maui Now.

State data shows more visitors are gradually coming to Maui after a hiatus due to the fires. The latest state data shows more than 180,000 visitors came to Maui in October, 34% higher than the same time last year and 24% lower than before the pandemic. KITV4.

Kauai

Holland is newest council member. Fern Anuenue Holland became the newest member of the Kauai County Council when the council was sworn in by Judge Randal Valenciano despite a challenge of the Kauai County Council race by Hawaii State Elections Commissioner Ralph Cushnie that is sitting at the Hawaii Supreme Court. Garden Island.

New hotel may be in the works on Kauai. A sale is pending on a 25-acre parcel of land in Poipu on the Garden Isle’s South Shore that is entitled for hotel or resort residential development. KHON2.

Community meeting scheduled for Lydgate Beach Park breakwater maintenance project. The Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park and Oceanit Laboratories, with support from Kaua‘i County, will host the meeting from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the Conservatory Room at Hilton Garden Inn Kaua‘i, located at 3-5920 Kūhiō Highway, in Kapa‘a, adjacent to Lydgate Beach Park. Kauai Now.