Young Brothers cargo ship in Hilo Harbor PC:Sen. Kai Kahele |
Multiple containers fall overboard in waters off Hilo. Improper loading and possible overloading of an interisland freight barge and employing practices to avoid paying overtime may have played a role in at least 21 shipping containers going overboard early Monday morning off the Hilo coast, alleges state Sen. Kai Kahele (D, Hilo), who is calling for a Senate investigation into the incident. Star-Advertiser.
Shipping Containers Fall Overboard Near Hilo Harbor. 21 shipping containers were counted as having toppled into the water on Monday, according to a U.S. Coast Guard update. 12 were still missing as of the early afternoon. Big Island Video News.
21 Shipping Containers Fall Overboard Near Hilo. Nine of the 40-foot (12-meter) shipping containers were located and 12 remained missing, the Coast Guard said. Hawaii Public Radio.
Authorities now say at least 21 shipping containers fell off barge in Big Island waters. The Coast Guard says at least 21 shipping containers fell from a Young Brothers barge off the Big Island early Monday. Hawaii News Now.
Young Brothers Cargo Containers Slip Off Barge Into Hilo Bay. At least 21 cargo containers slipped off of a Young Brothers barge and into the waters surrounding Hilo Bay on Monday morning. Big Island Now.
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Plan for opening trans-Pacific travel to come this week. Gov. David Ige is expected to announce the state’s adoption of a COVID-19 testing protocol that would allow some travelers to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine soon. Star-Advertiser.
Lieutenant Governor Josh Green provides clarity on COVID-19 confusion. Many are looking for some clarity surrounding COVID-19, as questions arise about a potential second wave, wearing face masks, and testing for the virus. KITV4.
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ACLU raises concern over facial recognition equipment set to be used at airports. As the state tests out thermal screening and facial recognition equipment at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport this week. The American Civil Liberties Union is again raising concerns. KITV4.
Facial ID software draws concerns from ACLU. The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has “serious concerns” about the state’s planned use of facial recognition software in airport terminals to fight the spread of COVID-19. Tribune-Herald.
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Lawmakers poised to tackle COVID-19. After a three-month, COVID-19-induced suspension of this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers rolled up their sleeves and reconvened Monday hoping to adopt a plan to use federal funds to help Hawaii residents and businesses cope with the pandemic. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Lawmakers Return To Spend Federal Aid, Plug Budget Hole. State lawmakers return to the Capitol today for what is expected to be the final three weeks of this year’s legislative session. Their main focus will be allocation $618 million in federal pandemic assistance. Hawaii Public Radio.
State lawmakers work to fix $413M shortfall. State lawmakers are back in session Monday with a daunting task. They’re looking to fix a budget shortfall of more than $400 million. KHON2.
Lawmakers reconvene to appropriate virus relief funds. Hawaii lawmakers on Monday reconvened their 2020 legislative session to flesh out details for how they plan to spend more than $600 million in federal coronavirus relief funds. Hawaii Public Radio.
House Lawmakers Call for Robust Nursing Home COVID-19 Testing. Representative John M. Mizuno, Chair of the House Health Committee, and Representative Rida Cabanilla, a registered nurse, are asking all nursing homes to comply with recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and have COVID-19 testing for all their residents. Maui Now.
Social service workers rally at state Capitol. As the state Legislature reconvened Monday, social service workers rallied at the Capitol asking lawmakers to allocate $362 million of the federal coronavirus relief funds to “vulnerable” families, who need food, housing assistance, health care, child care, domestic violence assistance, kupuna wellness checks and more. Star-Advertiser.
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Hawaii state senators pay tribute to fallen colleague Breene Harimoto. State senators reconvening for the first time in three months devoted much of their floor session today to speaking about their colleague, Breene Harimoto, who died last Thursday after a lengthy battle with cancer. Star-Advertiser.
Negotiations Begin On Hawaii Police Misconduct Bill. The Legislature couldn’t come to an agreement on House Bill 285 in 2019 but public pressure has forced lawmakers to reconsider it again this session. Civil Beat.
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Survey of public school teachers finds many saw low student participation in distance learning. The state Education Department recently surveyed Hawaii teachers in hopes of illuminating how many public school students actually participated in remote learning after campuses closed in March. Hawaii News Now.
Teachers Report Difficulties In Reaching Students, Remote Learning During School Closures. The survey went out to all Department of Education teachers and students, with a parent survey now in progress. Civil Beat.
Distance learning survey results to be used in planning next year. The Department of Education released its results of a recent distance-learning survey. KHON2.
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Interviews with Union Leaders: Randy Perreira, President, Hawai‘i American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Hawaii Business magazine.
Federal census of isle homeless is rescheduled for September. The once-every-decade federal census of Hawaii’s homeless population — which has been pushed to late September because of the COVID-19 pandemic — has the potential to affect Hawaii’s share of $800 billion in federal spending over the next 10 years, according to federal officials. Star-Advertiser.
Solar applications skyrocket as Hawaii residents seek savings on electricity. With electric bills going up due to people staying home and working from home, it appears more are looking toward other alternatives. According to HECO, applications for solar power in Hawaii are up 40% in 2020. KHON2.
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Hawaii records 4 new coronavirus cases; statewide total now at 816. Hawaii recorded four new coronavirus cases today, as the statewide total of infections since the start of the outbreak rose to 816, state Department of Health officials said in their daily midday count. Star-Advertiser.
VIRUS TRACKER — JUNE 22: 4 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. All the new cases were on Oahu. Civil Beat.
Oahu
Mayor Caldwell sends request to Governor Ige proposing guidelines for allowing live music to return to restaurants, bars. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has sent a request to Governor David Ige that would allow live music in restaurants and bars on O'ahu. KITV4.
Honolulu karaoke lounges to soon allow singing indoors. The Honolulu mayor is making changes to bar and restaurant COVID-19 guidelines, currently singing is not allowed inside businesses, making it a tough reopening for karaoke establishments, but a new order sent to the governor makes adjustments to the rule. KHON2.
Medical workers and their families inaugurate Waikiki Aquarium’s careful reopening. Monday was the first day of the aquarium’s “soft” reopening, which it was celebrating with a weeklong “Mahalo Medic” program, providing free and exclusive admission to Hawaii medical professionals. Star-Advertiser.
University of Hawaii at Manoa to boost study of life sciences with new facility. The Life Sciences Building just completed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will unite researchers, professors and students across disciplines in a thriving field where Hawaii has a natural edge, administrators say. Star-Advertiser.
Royal Hawaiian Groin to be finished in July. After helping keep sand on the Waikiki shoreline throughout 93 years of seasonal waves, currents and tides, storms and rising seas, the Royal Hawaiian Groin, a rock-and-concrete jetty that extends out into the blue-green waters of Waikiki before gently curving toward Diamond Head, is now in the midst of its own sea change. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Island
Filling a need: Nonprofit steps up to cover sanitation at Kiholo Bay. Hui Aloha Kiholo is working to make a crappy situation better. West Hawaii Today.
Nearly $1 Million in Community Development Block Grants Coming to Big Island. Nearly $1 million in block grant funding is on its way to the Big Island, and the county is asking the public for proposals for its distribution. Big Island Now.
Extraordinary Tenure Ends For USGS HVO Leader. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal is returning to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Big Island Video News.
Maui
Lawmaker, candidate cited for emergency rule violations. State House Rep. Tina Wildberger said she and her husband were “actively stretching in the sand” and “socially distanced” when they were issued citations last month for violating Gov. David Ige’s stay-at-home order amid the COVID-19 crisis. Maui News.
Sinenci proposes county Ag Department. Maui County Council Member Shane Sinenci has proposed a charter amendment that would create a county Department of Agriculture. Maui News.
Micro Business Loan Program Receives Additional $750,000. Mayor Michael Victorino announced today the extension of the Micro Business Loan Program with an additional $750,000 of funding from the County of Maui. Maui Now.
Maui Bus Wifi Trial Project in Hāna. The Maui Bus will be launching a Wifi Bus on Wednesday for a two-week trial period in East Maui. Maui Now.
Maui’s Wailea Blue Course to Close Until Further Notice. The Wailea Golf Club will continue to maintain the Blue Course and intends to reopen it when the economy improves. Maui Now.
Mauians train to aid during pandemic. UH-DOH program equipping health workers, residents to trace, do outreach. Maui News.
Kauai
Coronavirus Has Offered Kauai’s Mayor A Political Breakout Moment. Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami’s decisive handling of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the Garden Isle’s relatively low disease infection count — has won him praise locally and statewide. Civil Beat.
Kauai Mayor on pandemic: “We had to do some unique, out-of-the-box creative solutions to address our challenges”. The island of Kauai boasts more beaches than any other Hawaiian Island, something officials kept in mind when making decisions to keep the “garden isle” free of the coronavirus. KHON2.
Could New Kauai Proposal Be A Model For Bringing Back Tourism?. The plan to test travelers twice with a six-day quarantine in a designated hotel would apply to returning residents as well. Civil Beat.
A Ray of Light. Local Kapa‘a business owner Jeni Kaohelaulii considered creative ways to revive Old Kapa‘a Town, which appeared boarded up and bleak during the COVID-19 lockdown. Garden Island.
Lanai
Lanai Cat Sanctuary hopes to reopen soon since closing in March. Cat lovers across the country can’t wait until a home for feral cats reopens on Lanai. Star-Advertiser.