Ige taps Shikada for attorney general, USS Daniel Inouye commissioned at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii County Council passes 3% hotel tax, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Holly Shikada

Ige Names Holly Shikada To Be Hawaii’s New Attorney General. Shikada is a veteran lawyer who worked for years on educational issues, including ensuring compliance with the Felix Consent Decree. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Red Hill Has Changed The Politics Around The Military In Hawaii. The military has enjoyed unwavering support from state and federal political leaders in Hawaii. But the threat to Oahu’s water supply may be bringing that to an end. Civil Beat.

USS Daniel Inouye commissioned in Pearl Harbor home port, honoring the late U.S. senator as a warrior and statesman. The Navy’s newest warship, the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye, was officially commissioned at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  

Hawaiian Electric says 3,200 statewide still awaiting repairs, some may go another night without power. Hawaiian Electric said an estimated 3,200 customers are still without power statewide due to the impacts of the “Kona low” storm that ravaged the isles Monday and Tuesday. Those customers include about 400 on Oahu, 200 on Maui, and 2,600 on Hawaii Island. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

US Request For More Bigeye Tuna Denied By Pacific Commission. Wespac Executive Director Kitty Simonds expressed her disappointment, saying the council had been trying for six years to negotiate an increase. Civil Beat.

DAR seeks proposed fishing rule input. This month, the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources is holding a series of scoping events to receive community input on proposed amendments to statewide rules for select species of herbivorous reef fishes. Garden Island. KHON2.

Hawaii records 6 new coronavirus-related deaths, 72 additional infections. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 51 new cases on Oahu, eight on Hawaii Island, eight on Maui and five on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Navy Finds Contamination In Second Well And Identifies Pollutant At Red Hill Shaft. Meanwhile, the Navy outlined actions it would take in response to an emergency order by Gov. David Ige, but remained silent on the question of emptying the tanks. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Honolulu waives permit fees to expedite storm cleanup efforts. The City and County of Honolulu is waiving all permit fees related to storm-damage cleanup in an effort to jumpstart recovery efforts on Oahu following the powerful Kona Low storm system that blasted the islands. KITV4.

Kahikina Is Named Honolulu Rail’s Third Permanent Executive Director. As rail’s interim executive director for 2021, Lori Kahikina guided Hawaii’s largest-ever public works project through yet another tumultuous year – one that saw maddening construction woes, questionable contract awards and steep funding hurdles. Civil Beat.

New plan to fill gap between rail wheels and track. Hawaii’s DCCA has granted a temporary exemption to allow welders without Hawaii licenses to make temporary repairs to fix the rail project’s too-narrow wheels and too-wide track junction. Star-Advertiser.

Carcasses of Fraser’s Dolphins Wash Ashore on Oʻahu, DLNR Reports. Three carcasses of Fraser’s dolphins have washed ashore between Diamond Head and Waikīkī, DLNR officials reported earlier this week. Big Island Now.

Hawaii Island

Council passes 3% TAT: New hotel tax makes up for state cuts. Visitors to Hawaii Island hotels and vacation rentals will be digging a little deeper come Jan. 1, with the County Council on Wednesday unanimously passing a 3% local option lodging tax. West Hawaii Today.

Parks herbicide ban moves forward. The County Council on Wednesday advanced on first reading a bill banning the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in county parks. West Hawaii Today.

CSO one step closer to decommissioning. The planned dismantling and removal of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory from Maunakea has cleared another hurdle with the publication Wednesday of the final environmental assessment. Tribune-Herald.

Council votes to accept funds to fix ‘major thoroughfare’ in Hilo. The Hawaii County Council voted Wednesday to accept $12 million in state funds to improve a small but vital one-lane bridge in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Dedicated Philanthropists Donate $1 Million to Maui Memorial Medical Center. Maui Health Foundation is the recipient of a one-million-dollar gift from Wayne and Nan Kocourek for dedicated use towards the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department. Maui Now.

Hazardous Conditions Prompt Closure of Maui Recreation Area & Two Forest Reserves. Due to hazardous conditions and impassable roads and trails caused by this week’s heavy rains and strong winds, DLNR has closed the Kula State Forest Reserve, Kahikinui State Forest Reserve – Papa’anui Tract, and Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area.  Maui Now.

Maui Conservationists Sound Alarm Over Sightings Of Invasive Bird. The first red-vented bulbul was spotted by a forest bird conservationist at Haleakala National Park on Nov. 28. Civil Beat.

Kauai

KFD Air 1 hangar considered inadequate, unsafe. The county’s Air 1 hanger, located at the Lihu‘e Airport, was deemed “inadequate and unsafe” by auditors in a recent utilization study of the Kaua‘i Fire Department. Garden Island.

Endangered bird, rescued from certain death, takes flight. An endangered ua‘u, or Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), rescued in October has taken flight after 67 days of care. Garden Island.

USS Daniel Inouye tours Hawaiian Islands, civil rights complaints prompt changes to unemployment application, Aloha Stadium demolition planned for 2023, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS Daniel Inouye tours Hawaii ©2021 All Hawaii News

USS Daniel Inouye passes by East Hawaii. The future USS Daniel Inouye, or DDG 118, cruised off the coast of East Hawaii on Tuesday morning as it headed toward Oahu. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer — named in honor of the late U.S. senator from Hawaii and World War II Medal of Honor recipient — left General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, on Oct. 4. en route to its home port, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

How Police Overtime Leaves Taxpayers On The Hook For Jacked Up Pensions. State lawmakers cracked down on pension spiking in 2012 – but only for new employees. The old-timers continue to stick taxpayers with ever-growing bills from the state pension system. Civil Beat.

Come January, Hawaii residents will be allowed to carry Tasers in public. With Hawaii residents soon allowed to carry Tasers in public, some say it’s a good tool for self-defense but others worry they could fall into the wrong hands. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii To Update Unemployment Application After Federal Investigation. The state agreed to provide better access to limited English speakers and non-citizens after five filed civil rights complaints. Civil Beat.

Scientists partnered with local fishermen find Hawaiʻi's bottomfish are not being overfished. Every year for the last decade, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration join Hawaiʻi fishermen like Clay Tam to measure the abundance of bottomfish like the ʻopakapaka, hāpuʻupuʻu, and five other species known as the “Deep 7.” Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii recruiting conservation and resources enforcement officers statewide. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Monday it is looking for new recruits for its Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement to expand its force statewide. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.

$365M Released For School, Airport, Hospital Infrastructure. The capital improvement projects were approved and appropriated by the Hawaii Legislature. Civil Beat.

Agency charged with protecting at-risk keiki grappling with funding issues, staff shortages. State Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the Health, Human Services and Homelessness Committee, said he already has met with leadership from Child Welfare Services and the Hawaii Department of Human Services. Hawaii News Now.

Kupuna advocates overjoyed after federal guidelines OK nursing home visits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency which oversees Hawaii’s nearly 50 nursing homes, said “visitation is now allowed for all residents at all times.” Hawaii News Now.
 
Hawaii sees 63 new coronavirus cases, bringing statewide total to 85,948. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 33 new cases on Oahu,14 on Hawaii Island, seven on Maui, four on Kauai and five Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Demolition of Aloha Stadium possible in early 2023. Aloha Stadium could come down in early 2023, based on a new state expectation for having a private developer replace the largely condemned facility in Halawa with a smaller arena. Star-Advertiser.

How Honolulu’s Rail Compares to Other Federally Funded Projects. It’s common for rail projects to have cost overruns, but few are as large as Honolulu's. Hawaii Business magazine.

The project to replace the rail line’s wheels will take a year. Price tag? Unknown. In an ongoing setback for the embattled Honolulu rail project, there are lingering issues with the wheels, which are too small for the width of the track. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Amendment would add to Honolulu affordable-housing fund. The Honolulu City Council is considering a charter amendment that would increase the share of property tax revenue allocated to the city’s affordable-housing fund. Star-Advertiser.

Are Tiny Homes The Answer To Homelessness? Hawaii Is Giving Them A Try. Located on Yorktown Street, a strip with other transitional housing facilities and shelters, the homes will be rented for at least $500 per month, including utilities. However, residents must share restroom, laundry and shower facilities as well as a kitchen, which are located in a 2,800-square-feet community center that also includes a medical clinic, a community lounge and storage. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Wahiawa charter school vows to fight commission’s enrollment ruling. Officials at a Wahiawa public charter school said they plan to fight back against a decision by the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission that would result in the loss of more than $1 million in state funding. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council gets EPIC update; permits backlog could be cleared by February, Rodenhurst says. Hawaii County should be able to work through a massive backlog of building permit applications by the second quarter of next year, county officials said Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

Herbicide ban 2.0: Bill looks to end use of glyphosate-based pesticides at parks and rec facilities. Bill 91, introduced by Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas, is intended to reduce the use of the broad-spectrum systemic herbicide by county workers at Hawaii County Parks and Recreation facilities across the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

County hopes to allow trailers at certain transfer stations by March. Since the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management announced in April that all trailers and dump beds would be prohibited at all Big Island transfer stations, residents and County Council members have urged the department to reconsider. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Some say certificate of need stands in way of local hospitals. For years, lack of funding has held back a hospital that would bring the West Maui community better access to health care and has been talked about and pursued for over two decades. But there’s another barrier the project faced early on, and that other health care facilities have struggled to overcome — Hawaii’s “certificate-of-need” laws. Maui News.

Hawaii Department of Transportation receives federal grant for Honoapiilani Highway work on Maui. Hawaii will receive $22 million in new federal funding to help offset the estimated $90 million in design and construction costs to realign 4.5 miles of Honoa­piilani Highway vulnerable to sea-level rise and coastal erosion. Star-Advertiser.

Lifeguard Services Restored at Oneloa “Big Beach” in Mākena. Lifeguard towers at Oneloa “Big Beach” in Mākena have resumed operations as of this morning. Maui Now.

Kauai

Future USS Daniel Inouye passing Kaua‘i today. The new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is scheduled to pass Nawiliwili Harbor at 8 a.m. today, before being commissioned on Dec. 8, one day after the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Commemoration. Garden Island.

KIFB gets holiday push. The KIFB also launched its holiday food drive to help with the community demand that sees more than 150 food packages for families go out on its weekly emergency food distributions. Garden Island.

Warship named for Inouye, TSA defends airport response, Kealoha defense rests, Maui council overrides mayor's vetoes, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS Daniel Inouye PC:U.S. Navy

Navy To Name New Destroyer After Daniel Inouye. The late U.S. senator from Hawaii received the Medal of Honor for bravery fighting in World War II. Associated Press.

Navy to christen guided missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye. The U.S. Navy will christen a new guided missile destroyer the USS Daniel Inouye this weekend during a ceremony in Maine. Star-Advertiser.

USS Daniel Inouye Guided Missile Destroyer To Be Christened. The late U.S. Senator from Hawaii will have his name on the 68th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which is one of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. Big Island Video News.

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TSA Honolulu Airport Review Underway: 40 Flights Delayed, Thousands Inconvenienced. Maui Now.

TSA: Everyone did ‘what they were supposed to do’ during chaotic airport security scare. Officials are defending their actions during Tuesday’s airport security scare, in which a stampede left several people with minor injuries. Hawaii News Now.

Burning battery charger led to chaos at airport. The “pop, pop, pop” that some people mistook for gunfire at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Tuesday was Plexiglas barriers and plastic posts being knocked to the floor by panicked passengers after a smoking carry-on bag was found at a security checkpoint, a Transportation Security Administration official said at a news conference Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

New footage released of what caused airport security scare. New video released by the Dept. Of Transportation shows the smoking baggage from Tuesday's security scare at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. KHON2.

Hawaii State Hospital to go digital. The Hawaii State Hospital is replacing 25-year-old surveillance systems, some of which aren’t operational, with new digital equipment to bring the facility up to date and improve safety for patients and staff. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Kealoha Trial: Closing Arguments Could Come As Soon As Tuesday. The defense rests after three days of testimony, and prosecutors plan to call a few more rebuttal witnesses. Civil Beat.

All defendants decline to testify as Kealoha mailbox trial nears end. The final three defendants in the public corruption and conspiracy trial rested their cases Wednesday, with none of them, including former Honolulu deputy prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, taking the stand in their defense. Star-Advertiser.

Ex-Prosecutor Rests Corruption Case Without Testifying. An ex-Honolulu deputy prosecutor on trial for corruption-related charges has rested her case without testifying in her defense. Associated Press.

Defense team rests in Kealoha trial; closing arguments set for next week. Hawaii News Now.

KEALOHA TRIAL: Defense rests its case, Prosecutors present rebuttal Thursday. KHON2.

Defense rests without Katherine Kealoha, other defendants taking the stand. KITV.

Former police chief received discounted solar deal. Louis Kealoha was given a $20,000 discount for the installation of 26 solar panels at his Kahala home in 2013 as a favor to a police officer who worked part time for the solar contractor and because Kealoha was the police chief, according to the contractor. Star-Advertiser.

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Could Waimanalo to Kualoa become its own county? That’s what some are hoping for. There’s talk of of secession in Windward Oahu and community leaders sketched out what it would take to form their own county. Hawaii News Now.

State orders developer to stop excavation work on an Ewa Beach coastline. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has ordered a Chinese developer to stop excavation work on an Ewa Beach oceanfront. Hawaii News Now.

Street Parking Stalls for Car-Sharing Services Backed by Committee. People who use shared cars could see them parked in on-street stalls under a measure bound for the full Honolulu City Council. Hawaii Public Radio.

Liquor store to get license despite protest. The Honolulu Liquor Commission plans to renew the license of a Chinatown liquor store in the face of significant opposition from community members and government officials. Star-Advertiser.

School gets appliances to launder uniforms for students who need clean clothes. Central Middle School celebrated a donation of new washers, dryers, and other appliances to help students whose families don’t have access to laundry facilities. Hawaii News Now.

Trackers haul in 40 tons of marine debris at Kewalo Basin. The Ocean Voyages Institute, a nonprofit based in Sausalito, Calif., chartered the Kwai for the first expedition of its kind from Honolulu to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to retrieve the tons of derelict fishing nets, ropes, plastic floats, bottles and other items after deploying satellite trackers a year in advance to locate them. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council allows non-recyclable plastics as polystyrene alternative. Amid promises to create future laws curbing the growing waste stream heading to the county’s soon-to-be sole landfill, the County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill loosening restrictions on the allowable plastic alternatives to polystyrene. West Hawaii Today.

Council briefed on administration’s eruption recovery efforts. The county’s Kilauea recovery team has spent approximately $45 million on various projects to restore parts of the island affected by last year’s eruption. Tribune-Herald.

Dozens told to return FEMA funds. Nearly 80 Kilauea eruption victims have been told to return federal disaster relief payments after a federal agency determined they might not have been eligible for the funds. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The Maui County Council overrode all but three of Mayor Michael Victorino’s 12 vetoes during a special meeting on Tuesday, putting the near-final touches on an $823.5 million budget that is set to go into effect on July 1. Members restore funding for sewer projects, shoreline plan. Maui News.

Council Overrides Majority of Mayor’s Line-Item Vetoes. Maui Now.

Major hurdle cleared for 250 Lahaina tenants. Their affordable rentals secured with new state law. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai’s tourism concerns are being addressed. The anger that resulted in Kauai protesters temporarily turning back tourists entering the stretch of Kuhio Highway that leads into Haena was tempered Wednesday after state and county officials promised more collaboration in managing tourism on the Garden Isle. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai’s Newly Reopened Park Is A Case Study In Controlling Tourism. Crowd control measures at the renovated Haena State Park will help state parks officials respond to staggering tourism growth. Civil Beat.

The message along Kuhio Highway was to slow down on Wednesday, as North Shore residents gathered with signs at the old road-closure booth in Waipa. Garden Island.

Haena fishery receives Equator Prize. Fish are on the rise in the Haena Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area, and a newly bestowed international award now props up a project that’s already being hailed a success. Garden Island.