New laws coming, Oahu rents dropping, vote by mail cards AWOL, fireworks injuries around the state, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii state Capitol PC:Danny de Gracia

New laws you could see in the 2020 Legislative Session. The start of the year means lawmakers will soon be convening at the state Capitol to pass what could be a new set of laws for the islands. KHON2.

New state laws focus on justice system, guns, marijuana. Hawaii residents and visitors caught with small quantities of marijuana can rest assured they won’t be charged with criminal offenses under a new law that takes effect this year. Star-Advertiser.

National Weather Service To Reduce Number Of Emergency Alerts Sent To Phones. Alerts for the most serious events will be prioritized over flooding events that are not expected to have a major impact on the public. Hawaii Public Radio.

Growing air tours crowd isle skies. A growing number of people are calling for tougher restrictions on Hawaii’s tour helicopter and small aircraft industry, particularly as the volume of traffic has increased in recent years over residential communities, national parks and other areas. Star-Advertiser.

Why Hawaii Won’t Stop Setting Off Fireworks. A new report from the Legislative Reference Bureau highlights failed attempts by law enforcement and lawmakers to deal with the recurring issue. Civil Beat.

Oahu

New year brings new ban on plastic bags on Oahu. Oahu retailers can no longer distribute plastic bags at checkout counters under the latest phase of the city’s plastic bag ban ordinance that took effect Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed into law one of the strictest disposable plastic bans in the country. People are no longer allowed to buy plastic bags at check-out stands. KITV.

Rents Are Dipping on Oahu, At Least For Some People. Experts say some apartment rental rates have been coming down even before a crackdown on Oahu vacation rentals. Civil Beat.

Residents: flooding problem in Hauula getting worse. Flooding in Hauula has been a problem for years but residents say the problem is getting worse. Hawaii News Now.

Teenager hospitalized after firework blows off in his hand. As many celebrated the new year, one teenager spent the beginning of 2020 in the hospital. KITV.

Hawaii Island

Dozens Say Vote by Mail Cards Never Came. Concerns of disenfranchisement have cropped up recently on the Big Island, as residents and state officials alike have pointed to a potential flaw in Hawai‘i’s new vote by mail system that could leave some voters without a ballot come election day. Big Island Now.

New Hilo facility for homeless off to a good start, according to nonprofit. More than two months after accepting its first clients, Keolahou — an emergency homeless shelter established at the old Hilo Memorial Hospital — is a refuge for the Big Island’s homeless men. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

16 Fireworks Citations Issued, 68 Documented Cases in Maui County. Maui Now.

Man Critically Injured On Maui When Firework Explodes in Face. Maui Now.

Injuries, damages due to fireworks on Maui. Adam Cio said he was driving through a residential part of Kahului on his way home from work when an aerial firework burst through the passenger-side window of his pick-up truck. KITV.

Maui man left bloody after stray firework rips through the cab of his pick-up. A Maui man is recovering after an illegal aerial firework blasted through the cab of his pick-up truck minutes into the New Year. Hawaii News Now.

Maui man injured after a firework blasts through his car. KHON2.

Holiday Express reaches end of line. The Christmas-themed Sugar Cane Train made its final 4-mile round trip of the year Monday, traveling to Kualapa Loop and back, after the owners were unable to reach an agreement with Kaanapali Land Management over the future of the steam locomotive. Maui News.

Kauai

Feds Plan To Extract Kauai Tour Helicopter Wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board plans to have a preliminary report from its investigation in three weeks and the final report within two years. Civil Beat.

Plenty of blame to go around as Ige goes on TV, names brigadier general to oversee false attack alert investigation, Japan mistakenly sends similar alert on public TV, Legislature prepares to convene, Hawaiian overthrow anniversary to be commemorated, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Ige addresses state on live TV, screen capture

Investigations into missile scare intensify. Hawaii leaders are taking heat from the highest level for the colossal blunder that resulted in 38 minutes of terror for residents, who thought that a missile was headed for the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Brigadier General Will Review Why Hawaii Sent Out False Nuke Alarm. The initial review ordered by Gov. David Ige is due in 30 days, with a final report due in 60 days. Civil Beat.

Brig. Gen. Hara

Governor Ige Announces Actions Following Fallout from False Missile Alert. Hawaii Public Radio.

VIDEO: Apologetic Ige Taps Gen. Hara For Emergency Review. Big Island Video News.

In a rare address to the state Monday night, the governor again apologized for the "fear, anxiety and heartache" Saturday's false alert about an inbound ballistic missile caused in the islands and pledged that his administration is taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again. Hawaii News Now.

Full text: Gov. Ige Delivers Address on False Alert. KITV.

Japan’s public broadcaster mistakenly sent an alert Tuesday warning citizens of a North Korean missile launch and urging them to seek immediate shelter, then minutes later corrected it, days after a similar error in Hawaii. Associated Press.

Feds say state didn’t need to wait on them for missile-alert correction. KHON2.

Hawaii’s emergency authorities lacked reasonable safeguards to prevent the kind of false alert that panicked residents on Saturday with a warning of an imminent ballistic missile attack, the head of the Federal Communications Commission said. Bloomberg News.

The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission called Saturday’s false alarm concerning a ballistic missile attack “absolutely unacceptable.” Hawaii Public Radio.

Legislators aim to avert future false alarms. House Speaker Scott Saiki is tearing up and rewriting portions of his opening-day speech at the state Legislature to urge his colleagues to focus more attention on public safety and disaster preparedness in the wake of Saturday’s missile scare. Star-Advertiser.

Button pusher not holding up well under multiple death threats. The state “warning officer” at the center of Saturday’s bogus alert of an imminent missile attack that triggered widespread panic is a 10-year veteran and nonunion, exempt employee who has received dozens of death threats by fax, telephone, social media. Star-Advertiser.

HI-EMA alert screen

Government officials have released an image of the screen a Hawaii Emergency Management Agency would have seen before triggering a false missile alert Saturday morning. Hawaii News Now.

Opponents smell blood as Hawaii’s governor takes heat for the false nuclear missile alert. Civil Beat.

Will there be a possible political shake up post false missile alert? KHON2.

Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie blasted the Ige administration for taking too long to issue the all-clear signal to Saturday’s missile alert mistake. Hawaii News Now.

Sen. Schatz: Scrap missile alert system and build a new one from scratch. KHON2.

What you need to know if you didn't receive Saturday's emergency alert. KITV.

Missile-alert error reveals uncertainty about how to react. Residents and tourists alike remained rattled after the mistaken alert was blasted out to cellphones across the islands with a warning to seek immediate shelter and the ominous statement: “This is not a drill.” Associated Press.

Isle system fails to deliver warning to all cellphones. Just how many people in Hawaii didn’t receive the dire but incorrect warning on their mobile phones isn’t known. Star-Advertiser.

Local attorneys say the level of negligence or recklessness involved in Saturday’s false alarm will determine whether people can successfully sue the state. Star-Advertiser.

Man suffers massive heart attack during false alert. Star-Advertiser.

After false missile alert, some Hawaii businesses threw customers out. Hawaii News Now.

In light of Saturday’s false ballistic missile alert, the American Red Cross on Monday reminded Hawaii residents to remain prepared for any disaster, natural or man-made. Tribune-Herald.

Here’s what to do if missiles are inbound. Garden Island.

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The Legislature is set to open its 2018 session Wednesday with a focus on housing and homelessness, two perpetual problems in Hawaii that are only expected to get worse in the coming years. Civil Beat.

The 2018 legislative session officially kicks off Wednesday. That means lawmakers will begin reviewing thousands of measures and soliciting public input on bills. Civil Beat.

Thousands to mark 125th anniversary of Hawaiian government overthrow. Hawaii News Now.

A look back at the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom as thousands are expected to observe the anniversary on Jan. 17. KITV.

Oahu

When missile alert went out, hundreds sought refuge in Ala Moana gym. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu’s solar industry continued to shrink in 2017 as the number of building permits issued for rooftop solar projects by the City and County of Honolulu declined nearly 35 percent from the year-earlier period. Star-Advertiser.

Consumer prices in Honolulu rose last year at the fastest pace since 2011, driven by sharp increases in the cost of gasoline and electricity. Star-Advertiser.

Iolani school will soon house over 100 students as the school prepares to break ground on new dorms Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

A state Ethics Commission attorney has cleared Mayor Harry Kim’s contracted lobbyist to perform his duties without registering as a lobbyist, according to county Corporation Counsel Joe Kamelamela. West Hawaii Today.

The Big Island real estate market ended 2017 in a strong position after residential sales increased islandwide from 2016. Not only did the final quarter of 2017 see residential property sales on Hawaii Island rise slightly — from 2,307 in 2016 to 2,494 — the median residential sales price increased by about 6 percent to $350,000, according to listing service sales data. Tribune-Herald.

Several residents at the Alii Heights subdivision in North Kona dealt with more than downed deep wells and mandatory water restrictions during the Hawaii County Department of Water Supply’s tumultuous year. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Honoapiilani Work at Keawe Street to Commence on Tuesday. Maui Now.

Marchers continue to advance King’s vision. Gathering of many races is ‘proof we are living his dream’ Maui News.

Kauai

'Ku'i at the County' is Wednesday. Garden Island.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association joined efforts of the Kauai Island Labor Alliance, and the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai each hosted events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Garden Island.