Travelers clog airports as COVID cases spike, Maui cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, no love for Love Island, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

HNL on July 31, 2021 PC: My Kailua Facebook community page

Traveler complaints increase as Hawaii tourism rebounds. When the pandemic hit, the number of people flying in the U.S. plunged below 100,000 on some days, a level not seen in decades. This year it has climbed from less than 700,000 a day in early February to 2 million a day in July. Star-Advertiser.

Army, community are at a pivot point at training range lease renewals in Hawaii. It’s in this pressure-cooker atmosphere — and with focus on the Indo-Pacific as the Pentagon’s “priority theater” — that the Army is trying to keep nearly 30,000 acres of training lands on Hawaii island and Oahu. The state land leases all expire in 2029. Star-Advertiser.

Global Competition Over Fish Stocks Increasingly Affects Hawaii. Competition over dwindling fish stocks has led to violent confrontations around the world. Hawaii longliners are feeling the effects. Civil Beat.

Incoming Interim Schools Chief Previews Broad Vision For Hawaii. Priority areas include in-person attendance, social and emotional well-being as well as staff well-being and the safe return to campuses. Civil Beat.

Parents, teachers are nervous for the start of the new school year as the pandemic escalates in Hawaii. The new public school year in Hawaii starts Tuesday for an estimated 175,000 students amid growing concern about the escalating coronavirus pandemic. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Records 452 New COVID Cases As Positivity Rate Soars To 5.7%. The new cases reported Sunday included 276 on Oahu, 99 on the Big Island, 66 on Maui, six on Kauai and five residents diagnosed outside of the state, according to the health department. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Hanabusa Becomes Chair Of The Honolulu Rail Authority Board — Again. HART officials now hope to shore up rail’s finances with money from the 3% hotel tax the city is authorized to impose. Civil Beat.

In need of relief, Queen’s Health Systems asks FEMA for additional frontline workers. Queen’s Health Systems said it has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send 80 nurses immediately and then 50 more per month. Hawaii News Now.

Robotic police dogs: Useful hounds or dehumanizing machines? If you’re homeless and looking for temporary shelter in Hawaii’s capital, expect a visit from a robotic police dog that will scan your eye to make sure you don’t have a fever. Associated Press.

No opening date yet, but big plans ahead for Honouliuli monument, officials say. Six years after Honouliuli was designated a national monument, officials still are not sure when the former internment and prisoner of war camp will officially open to the public. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Little love for ‘Love Island’: Neighbors miffed over production of CBS reality television show. While “Love Island,” one of the largest film or TV productions ever made on the Big Island, is a hit with viewers, neighbors of the villa are less enamored with the production. Tribune-Herald.

Bus hubbub: New interim administrator, big changes in the works. Mayor Mitch Roth’s administration has officially ruled out land owned by a politically connected Pahoa resident as the site for a bus hub, overturning steps taken by the previous administration. The Roth administration has also hired as interim transit administrator John Andoh, an experienced transit veteran who once worked at the agency. West Hawaii Today.

Breakwater study results expected to be released in fall. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed a study of whether potential alterations to the Hilo Bay breakwater would improve water quality in the bay. Tribune-Herald.

Connections’ permit request to build school back before planning commission. A previously rejected special permit application for a Hilo charter school to build a campus on state land in Kaumana is once again before the Windward Planning Commission. Tribune-Herald.

Waimea fire eases, evacuation lifted. Hawaii County officials Sunday night lifted a mandatory evacuation order for Pu‘u Kapu Hawaiian Homestead, Waikii Ranch and Waikoloa Village, saying the threat to homes in the area was no longer imminent. Star-Advertiser. West Hawaii Today. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Maui

Agreements beef up illegal vacation rental enforcement. Maui County signed agreements with two major hosting platforms for vacation rentals on Friday in a move aimed at improving enforcement of illegal vacation rental operations. Maui News.

Maui Mayor Requests Postponement of Return to School Amid Delta Variant Surge. “In light of new CDC data showing the Delta variant can spread as easily as Chickenpox,” Maui Mayor Michael Victorino is asking the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, Department of Health and the Ige Administration to postpone the return of classroom learning until the impacts of the current COVID-19 surge on Maui County’s healthcare facilities can be assessed. Maui Now. KHON2.

Lahaina Recreation Center Ballfield to Undergo Fencing Improvements. The Lahaina Recreation Center Little League Ballfield No. 4 will undergo fencing improvements from Aug. 2 through Oct. 31. The Department of Parks and Recreation project includes the removal and replacement of the outfield fencing. Maui Now.

Kauai

County to improve Hanalei Baseyard. The Hanalei Baseyard project will break ground later this month, following a planning process that included input from several community organizations, according to county officials. Garden Island.

County quickly matches jobs, work-seekers. A new county initiative, Ho‘ohana Kaua‘i, is a one-stop shop for job-seekers and hiring managers. Garden Island.

Honolulu rail in court, Catholic priest child sex charges hit Hawaii, UH probes Stevie Wonder fiasco, school superintendent gets poor review, Maui hotels at top of sun and fun resort lists, kauai wildfire almost contained, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu rail project commences, courtesy photo

Federal Judge A. Wallace Tashima heard two hours of arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit that seeks to stop work on the city's $5.26 billion rail project, but gave no clear indication of how he will rule in the case or when. Star-Advertiser.

A federal judge from California is now the central figure in a legal fight that could decide the fate of the controversial $5.26 billion rail project and perhaps even determine who will be Honolulu's next mayor. Civil Beat.

The fate of Honolulu’s elevated-rail transit project is now in the hands of a federal judge. Pacific Business News.

Opponents of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project got their final day in Federal Court today and expect a decision in a few weeks. Hawaii Public Radio.

A standing room only crowd packed a courthouse inside the Prince Kuhio Federal Building Tuesday as U.S. District Judge A. Wallace Tashima heard oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by opponents of the city's $5.3 billion rail project. KITV4.

Rail had its day in federal court in an environmental challenge that could derail or delay the project. KHON2.

Did the city break environmental laws in the planning of the rail project? A federal judge is considering that right now and his decision could affect the future of the rail. Hawaii News Now.

Will Honolulu’s pricey and controversial rail project ever be built or will it be derailed in court? That could depend on what Ninth Circuit Court Judge Wallace Tashima decides in the next few weeks. Hawaii Reporter.

Rep. Cynthia Thielen and Sen. Robert Kouchi would appear to be the state's wealthiest lawmakers. Civil Beat.

Working Families for Hawaii has spent more than $70,000 supporting Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono, including nearly $34,000 on radio spots bashing former Democratic primary candidate Ed Case. One would think that a super PAC that has emerged as third biggest outside spender in Hawaii’s U.S. Senate race would be anything but anonymous. Civil Beat.

The Board of Education Tuesday gave Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi an overall rating of "fully meets expectations" in her first evaluation since being appointed to the position in September 2010. Star-Advertiser.

On the eve of a Board of Regents session to discuss the Stevie Wonder concert fiasco, University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood said Tuesday that athletic director Jim Dono­van was on his way out before the ill-fated venture. Star-Advertiser.

A day before the University of Hawaii Board of Regents meets behind closed doors to discuss the investigation into UH's failed Stevie Wonder concert and Jim Donovan's re-assignment as athletics director, it's unclear how much of the probe UH will make public. Hawaii News Now.

State roundup for Aug. 22. Associated Press.

Oahu

A Honolulu police officer on trial for theft and tampering with government records was found not guilty Tuesday afternoon on all thirteen counts. KHON2.

University of Hawaii-West O‘ahu officials have been giving out the wrong address for their campus for the past six months, but an estimated 1,800 students and 60 faculty still showed up for the first day of classes Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Are public agencies allowed to censor comments on their social media pages and can they be held liable for deleting comments made on their social media pages or for banning users? Hawaii Reporter.

Two gun advocates who run a charity called the Hawaii Defense Foundation are suing the city because they claim the Hono­lulu Police Department has censored, removed and banned their comments from HPD's Facebook page. Star-Advertiser.

A resident of Mayor Wright Homes, who fought to make sure everyone had hot water at the public housing project, is now in hot water himself.  Fetu Kolio is being evicted. KITV4.

The push to keep the North Shore country has lost one of its chief advocates. Civil Beat.

A local affordable-housing developer has arranged to buy the former Honolulu Advertiser property in Kakaako, and envisions putting up two moderate-priced condominium towers on the site while preserving the historic News Building. Star-Advertiser.

The producers of “Hawaii Five-0” will move from their soundstage at the former Honolulu Advertiser building once the show’s third season wraps production next spring, but exactly where is the question. Pacific Business News.

Carlisle paid price at polls for beefing with Cayetano. Star-Advertiser.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced Monday its acquisition of the Gentry Pacific Design Center, located in the 500 block of Nimitz Highway in Honolulu. KITV4.

Hawaii
The child sex abuse scandal surrounding the Catholic Church has hit close to home, with fingers of accusation pointing at a priest revered in the local community. Tribune-Herald.

The family of a New York teen swept out to sea while hiking on the Big Island filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday, claiming tour guides were negligent for leading a group of teenagers to a dangerous area. Associated Press.

The draft environmental assessment for the Kapi‘olani Street extension will be available for comment Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County is moving forward with development of a park in Pahoa village with funds previously set aside for a regional community park in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Occupancy at Maui hotels during the first half of the year ranked third-highest among more than 38,000 "island and sun" properties worldwide, according to a new report by Honolulu-based Hospitality Advisors. Maui News.

County of Maui was selected as a finalist for the 2012 Healthiest Employers contest, hosted by the Pacific Business News. Maui Now.

Kauai

Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho and Deputy County Attorney Justin Kollar squared off Tuesday night at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall for a debate in front of an audience of about 200. Garden Island.

Crews continued to fight high winds and dry conditions to contain the Koke‘e brush fire that is now reported to be 85 percent contained. Garden Island

The Koke‘e State Park Advisory Council will renew its work to review and comment on the Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon State Parks Master Plan. Garden Island.

Kamehameha festivities on all islands, HSC: shoreline belongs to the public, cables from Molokai and Lanai to feed power-hungry Oahu, brushfires on Hawaii, Maui persist, more news from all the isles

President Obama signs King Kamehameha Day proclamation

This year marks the 200th anniversary of King Kamehameha's unification of the Hawaiian Islands, and Honolulu festivities that kick off today to celebrate the monarch will be accordingly bigger, breathing new life into gatherings that have in recent years struggled to secure funding and volunteers.

With the theme “E Ho‘okahi Ka Mana‘o, Ho‘okahi Pu‘uwai, Ho‘okahi Ke Aloha” (Be of one mind, one heart, one love), Lahaina’s Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a will be held Saturday, June 12.

The public owns lands formed along the Hawaii's shoreline decades ago that are now above the beaches, according to a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling this week that left intact a lower court's decision.

Most sectors of Hawaii's economy are starting to grow again but it will take years to recover the tens of thousands of jobs that were wiped out during the recession.

Six more Hawaii state parks will soon begin charging parking or entry fees to visitors and tour companies

Hawaii is planning to lay power cables along the ocean floor to connect yet-to-be-built wind farms on the gusty and rural islands of Molokai and Lanai to power-hungry Oahu.

The state administration is moving ahead with its long term plans to use less imported oil to meet Oahu's power needs.

The state Com- mission on Water Resource Man- agement has ordered 12.5 million gallons of water per day be restored to the Na Wai Eha streams, about one-third of the water that was being considered for restoration a year ago.

Honolulu City Council members said a proposed ban on smoking at Oahu bus stops will address a loophole in city law.

Plumes of smoke began billowing into the air in the subdivision of Ocean View late Thursday afternoon.

Maui firefighters appeared to have gained the upper hand Wednesday in battling a wild-land blaze that had consumed an estimated 5,800 acres of brush in the West Maui Mountains above Maalaea.

The state's leading business organization is urging Gov. Linda Lingle to veto House Bill 444, the civil unions measure.

Hawaii County's first Furlough Friday is just three weeks away, and department heads are attempting to minimize the effect on the public.

Big Island taxpayers spent $470,000 extinguishing three fires in South Kona earlier this year, Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira said Wednesday.

Nearly four years after earthquakes damaged West Hawaii reservoirs, the completion date for one of the most severely damaged locations has been pushed back -- again.

In October, Hawaiian Airlines will begin a twice-weekly, nonstop service between Kahului and Las Vegas

The farm-worker-housing bill seemed to have reached the end of its rope Wednesday.

State slow spending stimulus money, Lost fans bid aloha, Hilo commemorates tsunamis, Kauai considers farm dwellings, brushfire eats 300 acres in West Hawaii, more top Hawaii news

Hawai'i received $1.3 billion of federal stimulus money as of March 30 and has spent $584 million. The cash was credited with saving or creating 2,566 jobs in the first quarter.

U.S. Congressman-elect Charles Djou told a national television audience this morning that his victory in Saturday's special election represented "a major historic election."

Fresh off a night of celebrating, Charles Djou says he's ready to find his way around Washington.

Neil Abercrombie's Republican opponent, Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona, opened his campaign headquarters on North Nimitz Highway.

The Price Tag Of A Seat In Congress: $12.31 Per Vote

Veterans on Molokai are upset they have waited for nearly four years to obtain permits to build a modest, $112,000 veterans center in Kaunakakai.

Steady makai winds and dry conditions fueled a 300-plus acre brush fire that broke out Saturday in North Kohala.

Fans fed their appetites at The Counter, as they devoured the final episode of Lost.

The finale of "Lost" leaves devoted viewers with their memories

Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of a crew member of the Hollywood film “The Descendants.”

Waiakea town lived again Saturday evening, if only for a few hours.

The 12-foot-tall green clock that now stands as a tsunami memorial was erected in Waiakea town in 1939 by Martha E. Wakefield in memory of her sister, the late Mrs. Charles Edward Richardson.

During a good winter, when water levels remain high at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, 120 or more endangered Hawaiian coot nests have been counted at the coastal wetland.

A bill that would allow bonafide farmers to build additional dwellings for their workers will be heard again at the Kaua‘i County Council meeting Wednesday in Nawiliwili.

New cruise ships coming, stinky people to be banned from The Bus, hotel workers jobs in limbo

Hawaii's cruise market, which had declined this year 22.9 percent through July, is likely to become more buoyant in 2010 and 2011 when two major cruise lines expand their island presence.

The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to "bring onto transit property odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors arise from one's person, clothes, articles, accompanying animal or any other source."

The fate of 380 jobs is in limbo as a lender searches for a new company to manage the Maui Prince Hotel and Makena North Golf course.

With a pending foreclosure and uncertainty about continued funding for Makena Resort operations, the Maui Prince Resort gave notice to employees Monday that it would terminate its management contract and cease being the hotel and golf course operator as of Sept. 16.

Maui County police ordered mandatory evacuations on Sunday after winds changed course, causing a brushfire on Molokai to switch direction from mauka to makai

A wildfire that threatened dozens of homes and business in Kaunakakai over the weekend is now endangering native forests.

The Lingle administration vowed yesterday that a new, state-sponsored medical insurance program for legal immigrants will not endanger the lives of Micronesians in Hawai'i who need kidney dialysis or chemo- therapy.

A bill that would increase restrictions on drinking in Kauai county parks took another step toward becoming law when it passed out of committee during last week’s Kaua‘i County Council meeting at the Historic County Building.