 |
| Hawaii schoolchildren PC:Hawaii Department of Education |
Starting school before tourists return will set up students for success, officials say. With tourists not expected to return in force until after Sept. 1, officials believe Aug. 4 is a safe time to open public schools in Hawaii so teachers and students can get rolling on the new academic year. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Governor Confirms Public School Reopening Plan. Gov. David Ige and state school officials say appropriate precautions have been taken to reopen schools safely. Civil Beat.
Ige, education leaders stress importance of reopening schools Aug. 4. State leaders are continuing to work toward reopening schools Aug. 4 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribune-Herald.
Return to In-Person Instruction at Public Schools Vital on Several Levels, Officials Say. Hawai‘i is heading back to school in two weeks, and the classrooms are going to look, feel, and operate differently than they ever have before. Big Island Now.
School officials announce Aug. 4 reopening date. Hawai‘i officials Monday announced plans to reopen schools to students on Aug. 4. Teachers are set to return July 29. Garden Island.
State Moves Forward with Reopening of Public Schools on Aug. 4. Ige cited the state’s decision to push back the pre-travel testing program to Sept. 1 as one of the reasons to move forward with HIDOE’s reopening date. Maui Now.
‘Our teachers are scared': Union, parents cast doubt on school’s plan to reopen. Two weeks before the fall semester, the Department of Education said it will hire more nurses and will buy thousands of digital devices for needy students who may end up stuck at home. But some teachers and parents are questioning the DOE’s plan to keep everyone safe. Hawaii News Now.
=====
Investigator: Visitors are skipping out on quarantine rules by going inter-island. Visitors are trying to skirt Hawaii quarantine rules by hopping on inter-island flights, an investigator with the Kauai County Prosecutor’s Office said. Rapozo says owners of residential vacation rentals are also skirting the law to rent to visitors. Hawaii News Now.
=====
Financial aid to come from lawmakers and counties after unemployment bonus expires. Next week marks the end of the month, and the extra $600 the federal government has been providing to those on unemployment is set to expire. A push to extend the payout is still being debated on Capitol Hill. KHON2.
DOH Receives $3.3 Million For Infectious Disease Response. The funds will help bolster testing, contact tracing and COVID-19 surveillance. Civil Beat.
Hawaii hotels battling for jobs. Hawaii’s organized hotel union workers don't support some of the details championed by the American Hotel &Lodging Association last week as part of its “Stay Safe” guest checklist, which union workers say ultimately could cost jobs. Star-Advertiser.
National Guard members start conducting temp, health checks at state courthouses. National Guard members are now conducting temperature checks and basic health screenings at eight state courthouses. The measures come as courtrooms begin reopening to the public. Hawaii News Now.
=====
Tropical Storm Douglas to become hurricane before entering Central Pacific, forecasters say. Tropical Storm Douglas in the eastern Pacific continued to strengthen Monday night and is expected to be a hurricane by Wednesday as it heads toward the Central Pacific. Star-Advertiser.
Tropical Storm Douglas Forms, Expected To Strengthen. Tropical Storm Douglas is expected to become a hurricane in a couple of days, as it heads into the Central Pacific. Big Island Video News.
Tropical Storm Douglas, Tropical Depression 7-E churning in eastern North Pacific. Two tropical cyclones have formed in the eastern North Pacific, far to the east of the Hawaiian islands. Hawaii News Now.
=====
Hawaii Updates: 12 New Cases; Health Director: Returning Residents Bringing Back Virus. Hawaii's top health officials are advising residents to not travel to other states unless it’s necessary. Hawaii Public Radio.
VIRUS TRACKER — JULY 20: 12 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,393 people in Hawaii have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Civil Beat.
Oahu
Honolulu Replaces Head Of COVID Recovery Agency Hired Just Weeks Ago. Rick Keene was hired in early June to lead a new office. Now he’s out. Civil Beat.
=====
Vacation rental permits could be delayed. The city’s plan to issue roughly 1,700 short-term vacation rental permits will be postponed under a bill moving through the City Council. Star-Advertiser.
Vacation rental owners urge Honolulu mayor to allow reopening. An attorney representing some 60 property management companies and 1,500 legal vacation rentals in Hawaii is asking Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell to allow legal vacation rentals on Oahu to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic, just as they are allowed to operate in Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties. Pacific Business News.
=====
5,500 Soldiers Complete War Games On Oahu Amid Pandemic Concerns. For the past two weeks, the hills above Oahu’s famous North Shore have echoed with the sound of rotor blades and automatic gunfire. Hawaii Public Radio.
Honolulu’s Next Mayor Will Face Major Obstacles On Rail. Most of the top contenders say they would hit the brakes on the $9 billion project if financial hurdles can’t be overcome. Civil Beat.
UH’s Leeward Oahu campus reaches ‘Net-Zero’ energy efficiency. The University of Hawaii’s Leeward Community College is one of the first virtually net-zero energy campuses in the country, according to the school. That means the campus is generating the same amount of energy as it uses. Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Island
Honua Ola asks PUC to reconsider decision. Honua Ola Bioenergy has filed a motion requesting that the Public Utilities Commission reconsider an order that could potentially halt its long-delayed power plant project for good. Tribune-Herald.
Energy company amped to save plant, jobs. Honua Ola Bioenergy held a rally Monday morning with about 100 employees and supporters on the Big Island to protest the potential loss of jobs, and later in the day filed a motion for reconsideration with the state Public Utilities Commission after the agency struck down an amended power purchase agreement to build a biomass plant in Pepeekeo. Star-Advertiser.
=====
Court orders mental examination for Home Depot blockade suspect. A Big Island mayoral candidate facing criminal charges for a July 7 blockade of the Hilo Home Depot store parking lot will receive a court-ordered mental examination. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
Maui Memorial Medical Center chief nursing officer to retire. Spokeswoman says Kienbaum’s decision unrelated to petition calling for his ouster. Maui News.
To keep Hana residents safe, locals set up their own highway checkpoint. Just days after the state reopened Hana Highway to non-residents, locals are taking precautions into their own hands. Hawaii News Now.
Maui Lani Roundabout to Open Earlier Than Planned, Ahead of School. The Maui Lani Roundabout will open earlier than planned, by July 30, if not sooner, according to Rowena Dagdag-Andaya, Director of the Maui Department of Public Works who spoke at an afternoon press briefing on Monday. Maui Now.
Marine Institute receives $15K to recycle fishing nets. Nonprofit will collect the nets and ship them to Oahu to be converted to energy. Maui News.
Kauai
Local projects receive CARES Act green-light. At least 36 projects have been selected by the county to receive federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to help the community bounce back during the coronavirus pandemic. Garden Island.
First day opening. Robin Wong, a teacher at Kaua‘i High School, said shopping was made more challenging, Monday because she had no idea of how the classroom is going to be like when school starts, her first day in the classroom being Aug. 3, according to the state Department of Education academic calendar. Garden Island.
Posts
.jpg)
