Hayashi tapped for schools superintendent, Espinda found dead from self-inflicted gunshot, Honolulu police chief candidates vie for top spot, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Interim Keith Hayashi chosen as Hawaii public schools superintendent. After an extraordinarily long and sometimes contentious state Board of Education meeting Thursday, former Waipahu High School Principal Keith Hayashi, who has been serving as state interim superintendent of Hawaii public schools since August, was selected from among three finalists to continue as the permanent state superintendent. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Nolan Espinda, former head of Hawaii’s Department of Public Safety, dies. Nolan Espinda, who retired as DPS director in 2020 amid criticism over the department’s handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in Hawaii prisons, was found dead at Kailua Beach of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Hawaii commits to clean transportation future. With the passing of Senate Bill 3311, the state would give itself a goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across all modes of transportation. It also would establish working groups consisting of both public and private stakeholders that would promote clean interisland transportation and electric vehicle adoption. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii electric-vehicle sales charged ahead in first quarter. Hawaii made significant progress in the first quarter to distance itself from fossil fuels as the state reached double digits in electric vehicle registrations. Star-Advertiser.

$80 Million For Hawaiʻi Water Issues Passed By House Committee. The State of Hawaiʻi is “positioned to receive” $80 million for water and wastewater issues through federal legislation moving through the U.S. House. Big Island Video News.

Honolulu and Maui counties’ COVID-19 risk rank rises. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday bumped Honolulu and Maui counties from the yellow, medium-risk community level to the red, high-risk community level for COVID-19. Honolulu and Maui counties join Kauai County, which last week was classified as a high-risk community due to high case rates and limited hospital capacity. Hawaii County remains yellow. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Hawaii Health Department says keiki ages 5-11 now eligible for COVID-19 boosters. The Hawaii Department of Health today said it is adopting guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recommending boosters for keiki ages 5 through 11. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Candidates for Honolulu Police chief participate in public forum. Repairing the Honolulu Police Department’s reputation, providing more information to the media, increasing patrol staffing, addressing officer wellness and stopping the surge of violent crime were among the issues addressed by the candidates during the 90-minute live forum televised Thursday night on PBS Hawaii’s “Insight” program. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

HPD statistics reveal low closure rates especially for property crimes. A vast majority of criminal cases investigated by the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) do not result in an arrest. KITV4.

Number Of Homeless People Counted In Oahu Survey Drops 11%. Oahu saw a decrease overall in this year’s Point-in-Time Count of homeless people, with the number of people in shelters dropping 24% and the number of those unsheltered increasing by 0.4% compared with the count in 2020. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2.

HART Pays Nearly $1 Million To Compensate 24 Parties Short-Changed By Rail Relocation. The Honolulu agency overseeing rail construction has determined that its prior history of shoddy relocation payments ultimately short-changed 24 businesses and tenants displaced by the future rail line to the tune of $883,000. Civil Beat.

Waikiki Aquarium to require face masks in alignment with University of Hawaii policy. The Waikiki Aquarium said wearing face masks is once again required at its facility, effective immediately, in alignment with University of Hawaii policy. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council takes first stab at budget. Hawaii County Council members seem to prefer a cautious approach to county spending, despite a budget windfall that has Mayor Mitch Roth proposing a $779.7 million spending plan, a 27.8% increase over the current year. West Hawaii Today.

UH regents OK amendments to Maunakea plan. The University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents on Thursday approved a supplement to UH’s management plan for Maunakea, despite potentially losing jurisdiction over the mountain before the end of the decade. Tribune-Herald.

Solutions sought to help protect Pololu Valley. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is working with Hawi community members to protect Pololu Valley from overuse. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

County mayoral candidates tackle South Maui issues. Five candidates have filed to run so far in crowded mayor’s race Climate change, cesspools and ocean pollution, and homelessness in South Maui are among the issues that Maui County mayoral candidates plan to tackle if elected. Maui News.

Kaiser mental health clinicians during Maui strike: ‘They pushed us to this’. Organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers that represents Hawai’i Kaiser’s 58 mental health providers, the demonstration is being called the Aloha State’s largest mental health strike. Maui Now.

Red placard issued to restaurant in Lahaina, Maui. The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Food Safety Branch issued a red placard and shut down China Bowl Asian Cuisine Restaurant, located at 2580 Kekaa Dr, #116, Lahaina on Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Council introduces bill expanding size of guest houses on Kaua‘i. A bill introduced at County Council on Wednesday would increase the maximum size of guest houses, a move intended to make a dent in the ongoing housing crisis on island. Garden Island.

No-cost health services return to Kauaʻi in June. The “Tropic Care” program is run by the state Department of Health’s Kauaʻi District Health Office, the County of Kauaʻi and the U.S. military. Hawaii Public Radio. Garden Island.

Hokulea homecoming celebrations continue, universal basic income studied by Legislature, anti-aging drug begins trials, Maui sugarmill sale begins, Honolulu lobbyists spent $200k, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Greeting Hokulea in Honolulu, courtesy Hokulea crew

No modern navigation instrumentation guided a Polynesian voyaging canoe as it followed the horizon during a three-year journey around the globe. On Saturday, thousands welcomed double-hulled canoe Hokulea home to Hawaii when it entered a channel off the island Oahu and tied up to a floating dock at Magic Island. Associated Press.

Hokulea homecoming celebrations continued on Sunday, one day after thousands welcomed home the voyaging canoe. Hawaii News Now.

Hokulea is home, but its mission continues. The Malama Honua Summit kicked off Sunday -- highlighting the world-wide voyage. KITV4.

Three-quarters of the world’s inhabitants, including those living in Hawaii, will be exposed to deadly heat waves by the end of the century unless greenhouse gases are not substantially reduced, according to a study published today in Nature Climate Change. Star-Advertiser.

A resolution adopted by the Legislature last session calls for a “basic economic security working group” to study universal basic income. Civil Beat.

The National Institute of Health has chosen a compound developed by a Hawaii-based business for an anti-aging research program. Hawaii News Now.


Hawaii spends slightly more on each public school student than the national average each year but far less on general administration than the national norm, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Taxation’s new computer system has generated so many complaints from taxpayers and raised so many concerns among lawmakers that the Legislature this year stepped in to halt the flow of new funding into the project. Star-Advertiser.

Rear Adm. John Fuller will relinquish command of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific at 1 p.m. Friday to Rear Adm. Brian Fort. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 2.7 percent in May, a decline of 0.4 percentage points from 3.1 percent in May 2016. Pacific Business News.

About 49,000 Hawaii Medical Service Association members covered by small-business health insurance plans will see an average 2.1 percent rate hike July 1, the smallest increase since 2012. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Companies spent more than $200,000 to sway Honolulu’s elected officials last year, according to lobbying reports filed with the city Ethics Commission in January. Civil Beat.

 The state Department of Transportation has ended its agreement with the Department of Public Safety to have deputy sheriffs handle law-enforcement duties at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and state Sen. Will Espero is questioning whether the move is payback for a lawsuit filed by the sheriffs’ union to block the state’s new contract with a private airport security firm. Star-Advertiser.

A landowner’s plan to develop 29 lots in the heart of Haleiwa town won its first approval from the City Council last week, and a community hearing is likely next for the contentious project. Star-Advertiser.

A developer calls it Serenity Gardens, but community reaction to a cemetery planned in a residential Kaneohe neighborhood has not been calm or soothing. Star-Advertiser.

The most expensive homes on Oahu are in the neighborhood of Kāhala. And the priciest ones of all are on Kāhala Avenue, a street of some changes over time. Hawaii Public Radio.

Winners of the Make the Ala Wai Awesome contest were announced Saturday at the opening ceremony of the World Youth Conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Police Department and the city Prosecutor’s Office have seen an increase in their domestic violence caseloads in recent years but without a corresponding increase in successful prosecutions, a report released last week by city Auditor Edwin Young concludes. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Renters and owners of second homes, especially those in West Hawaii, are about to feel the sting of changes the County Council made to Mayor Harry Kim’s proposed property tax hikes. West Hawaii Today.

Time could be running out for The Villages at Aina Lea. After more than a quarter-century of false starts and litigation, all work at the South Kohala site has been ordered again stopped and Hawaii County has notified developer, Aina Lea Inc., it plans to start the county process of reverting the land’s zoning “to its original” (unplanned) or a “more appropriate designation.” West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation’s reconstruction project on Saddle Road is nearing completion. Tribune-Herald.

A contested case hearing on whether to let a proposed 306-unit timeshare development in Kahaluu move forward is unlikely to get resolved this year. West Hawaii Today.

Recent sewage leaks and high bacteria counts along the Keaukaha shoreline are the topics of discussion at this community meeting Thursday night. Big Island Video News.

When the Big Island Invasive Species Committee’s field crew heads out to take samples from ohia trees, no news is good news. Tribune-Herald.

Following the recommendation of Hawaii County inspectors, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has made the decision to close Pagoda Hilo Bay Hotel immediately and vacate the hotel. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

An inspection for potential buyers of the former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.’s processing plant will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Maui News.

A Lahaina Department of Public Works crew defied its supervisor following September’s torrential rains and flooding and risked further environmental damage from brown-water runoff, the department’s former chief of field operations and maintenance charges in her federal whistleblower lawsuit filed this week against Maui County. Maui News.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii plans to spend more than $50 million on three Maui County hospitals as the biggest privatization effort in state history finally comes to fruition following a one-year delay. Star-Advertiser.

Having adequate doctors, access to services for non-Kaiser Permanente members and the possibility of reopening adolescent mental health services were some of the issues brought up during a public meeting Friday. Maui News.

The Maui County Council approved the 49-unit Makila Kai project in Launiupoko on a 6-2 vote Friday. Maui News.

The county Department of Water Supply has announced the winners of its eighth annual Water Conservation Poster Contest and of its first Source Water Protection Video Contest. Maui News.

Experts say elder abuse is happening in all settings. Conference focuses on signs of a problem, prevention tactics. Maui News.

Kauai

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. sent the upcoming year’s budget back to to the council unsigned. Garden Island.

Kauai County Council Chair Mel Rapozo will give an overview of the county’s fiscal year 2017-18 budget at the Lihue Business Association meeting, 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday at Duke’s Canoe Club. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council will host the annual Hawaii State Association of Counties conference Monday and Tuesday at the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu. Garden Island.

The public has a chance to hear about the new approach to recreational water quality in a meeting set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Kauai District Health Office Conference Room in Lihue. Garden Island.

Kauai residents are grateful for Tropic Care services. Between Monday and Wednesday, 1,661 patients visited the clinics, and Tropic Care provided 8,015 procedures. Those numbers already surpass those from last year, said Lauren Guest, public health preparedness planner for the Hawaii State Department of Health. Garden Island.