Senators target Hawaii energy office for defunding, state mulls catastrophic insurance, litigation, investigations ramp up in Maui wildfire aftermath, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

State senators target Hawaii State Energy Office. A state agency directing Hawaii energy policy in areas including security, resiliency and environmental health is at risk of losing its independence. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Clock Is Ticking For Hawaii To Commit Its Remaining Federal Coronavirus Funds. The state of Hawaii and the counties have until the end of the year to obligate up to $400 million in federal funds meant to alleviate the impacts of Covid-19 and support economic recovery, or face returning it.  Civil Beat.

Free Summer School Programs In Hawaii Face Uncertain Future. As federal coronavirus funding expires, the Hawaii Department of Education must make the case for continued investments in summer learning. Civil Beat.

State-run Reinsurance To Cover Catastrophic Events In Hawaiʻi. House Bill 2056 would create State Reinsurance Exploratory Working Group to gather information and find solutions. Big Island Video News.

Macadamia Nut Country of Origin Labeling Bill Advances In Hawaiʻi Legislature. The proposed bill moving through the Hawaiʻi State House requires the country of origin to be included on the principal display panel on a package of processed macadamia nuts. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii Prison Officials Hope A New Women’s Wellness Center Will Reduce Recidivism. The Women's Prison Project is raising $85,000 for a wellness center at the prison that is expected to improve quality of life for incarcerated women. Civil Beat.

UH moves toward an ‘indigenous-serving’ institution model. A year and four months after the University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved a strategic plan that in part calls for UH to “fulfill kuleana to Native Hawaiians and Hawaii,” officials are preparing to select an administrator to implement that “imperative” across the 10-campus system, and meanwhile launching a two-year cultural initiative on the flagship Manoa campus. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Illegal ‘Straw’ Donations Spotlighted By Mitsunaga Case Are Rarely Prosecuted. Lurking in the background of an alleged conspiracy to bribe Honolulu’s prosecutor is a separate but related issue: donations made under a false name to circumvent campaign limits. Civil Beat.

Office space conversions fuel $1B downtown Honolulu investment cycle. The lights are brighter in downtown Honolulu where post-­pandemic changes to work and lifestyle patterns are fueling an investment cycle that is expected to deliver at least 15 new projects valued at about $1 billion over the next five to seven years. Star-Advertiser.

New pedestrian walkway in Ala Moana connected after 2 years of construction. After nearly two years of construction, both sides of Hawaii’s newest elevated pedestrian walkway are finally connected over Ala Moana Boulevard. Hawaii News Now.

Land Board votes unanimously to protect crumbling Windward coastal highway. The state transportation department will build a 400-foot-long rock revetment along Kamehameha Highway between Ka’a’awa Beach Park and the elementary school. Hawaii News Now.

Emergency Room Closure In Wahiawa Magnifies A Capacity Crunch. As emergency rooms filled with patients, Honolulu's head of emergency services was tasked with coordinating ambulance arrivals. Civil Beat.

Oʻahu residents living in flood zones are asked to participate in survey. About 25,000 households on Oʻahu are in flood-risk areas, and the City and County of Honolulu wants to see how prepared residents are for possible floods. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Roth offers State of the County. To combat the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and daily essentials Mayor Mitch Roth announced during the State of the County address his plan to ask the Hawai‘i County Council to decrease property taxes based on a close examination of the county budget. West Hawaii Today. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

‘Safe Space’ draws concerns: Residents, lawmaker worried about impact of homeless camp on area. A state lawmaker has joined some Hilo residents in their concerns about a planned government-sanctioned homeless encampment near the Hilo Lagoon Center. Tribune-Herald.

Alternative Chosen For Pāhoa Library, Mass Transit Hub. The Preferred Alternative is the lot that is located at the northwest corner of Pāhoa Village Road and Kahakai Boulevard. Big Island Video News.

Work on Lanikaula Street to begin in May. Hawaii County Department of Public Works spokeswoman Sherise Kanae-Kane said a $5 million project to improve about 1,800 feet of Lanikaula Street between Kilauea Avenue and Manono Street will begin in May and continue through February 2025, weather permitting. Tribune-Herald.

Glenwood Transfer Station to close March 25 through May 15. The Glenwood Transfer Station will close on March 25 for construction activities, according to the County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management’s Solid Waste Division. Big Island Now.

Maui

Lawmakers Want Utility Regulators To Conduct Their Own Fire Probe. Some legislators want an independent investigation because the state and Maui County are both involved in litigation over the August fires. Civil Beat.

Maui County attorneys request state subpoenas to manage fire response probe. Maui County attorneys say they have requested subpoenas to work with investigators hired by the state to assess governments’ response to the Aug. 8 wildfires, which killed 101 people, because the investigators have failed to follow realistic and respectful practices for gathering information.  Star-Advertiser.

Council advances eminent domain land condemnation for Central Maui Landfill expansion. Maui County Council members moved quickly Friday morning to give the first of two approvals for the county to launch eminent domain condemnation proceedings in 2nd Circuit Court.  Maui Now.

County Council Vice-Chair to host Meeting on Wednesday. Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura will host a community meeting on March 27th at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani from 6 to 8 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be on a potential water source development agreement between the County of Maui and Free Market Ventures, LLC.  Maui News.

Kauai

Someone planted non-native coral at ‘Anini Beach; DAR relies on community to report fishy goings-on. All is not well in the waters off ‘Anini Beach on the North Shore of Kaua‘i, where a three-year-old mystery with calamitous potential continues to baffle those tasked with conserving the area ecosystem. Kauai Now.

‘Bathrooms’ restoration springs up in Hanalei. Spring cleaning kicked off early for one Kaua‘i resident whose “labor of love” can be seen in Hanalei. Garden Island.

Audit blasts state energy office, Hanabusa more popular among business leaders, new U.S. attorney named, dialysis clinics vacant as inspections awaited, rats return to Lehua Island, Kealoha accused of coercing witness, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki king tides July 2017, courtesy UH Sea College Grant program

For the past two years, the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program has been recruiting citizen scientists from across the Pacific. They were trained to document high water levels or King Tides in an effort to understand and adapt to sea level rise. Hawaii Public Radio.

State Auditor’s report blasts energy office. The Hawaii State Energy Office awarded a contract for more than $250,000 to plan a “state-of-the-art” energy innovation center last year, and then seven months later commissioned another consultant to assess whether that center is actually needed, according to an audit of the office. Star-Advertiser.

Read full audit here.

Auditors couldn't figure out what this state office does — or plans to do. Hawaii News Now.

Audit: State Energy Office ‘Is Not Doing Its Job’ A scathing report cites the office’s failure to document what it’s doing to help Hawaii’s transition to renewable energy resources. Civil Beat.

Why Colleen Hanabusa Can’t Sit Still. The Hawaii congresswoman talks about ambition, office-hopping and her quest for the Hawaii governor’s office. Civil Beat.

BOSS Asks Business Leaders: Ige or Hanabusa? Hawaii Business.

Kenji Price — a former federal prosecutor and Army Ranger who is now a director at the Honolulu law firm of Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing — has been appointed Interim U.S. Attorney for Hawaii by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department announced today. Star-Advertiser.

Ex-Army Ranger Named Temporary US Attorney For Hawaii. Kenji Price has been focusing on white collar criminal defense and commercial litigation at a Honolulu firm. Associated Press.

Delays in clinic inspections hurt dialysis patients. Lawmakers are trying to find solutions to a three-year delay in inspections for some dialysis clinics that largely remain closed as the number of residents with kidney failure continues to climb. Star-Advertiser.

One aspect of the homeless crisis: State realizes policing encampments is pricey. DLNR is requesting $330,000 in related funds. Gov. David Ige's administration also wants $419,302 to pay for eight new deputy sheriffs that could respond to complaints about illegal camping and trespassing on state lands. There is also a $5 million lump sum request in the state Department of Human Services' budget. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii joins 'tele-abortion' pilot amid debate about procedure's safety. Hawaii is one of only four states taking part in a "tele-abortion" pilot project, and the politically-charged issue is riling up abortion foes. Hawaii News Now.

Preschool Open Door Program Open for Enrollment. Low and moderate-income families in Hawaii can tap a state subsidized program to give their keiki a head start in early learning. Hawaii Public Radio.

No end in sight for mumps outbreak. In addition to containing clusters of mumps cases, the state is gearing up for the peak of flu season. KITV.

Mumps booster needed to avoid virus. Even if you had a mumps vaccination, you are being urged to get a booster shot. KITV.

Foreign fishermen settle human trafficking suit. Two Indonesian fishermen who say they were enslaved on an American fishing boat have settled their lawsuit against the vessel’s owner seven years after escaping and receiving special U.S. visas as victims of human trafficking. Associated Press.

Kmart to pay over $84K for overbilling Hawaii Medicaid customers. Pacific Business News.

Hawaiian Airlines awarded share of $227M federal contract. Hawaiian Airlines Inc. on Friday received a share of a $227 million federal contract for international commercial scheduled air cargo transportation services. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Katherine Kealoha coerced man to lie to grand jury, charges say. The deputy city prosecutor wife of a Honolulu police chief convinced a man whose trust she allegedly stole from when he was a child to lie for her before a grand jury looking into corruption allegations against the couple, according to court documents filed today. Associated Press.

An alleged victim in the case against former Honolulu police chief Louis Kealoha and his deputy prosecutor wife, Katherine, is now a suspect. KHON2.

Police Commission Loosens Rules On Legal Fees For Officers. For years, city attorneys have been strict when it comes to paying an officer’s attorney fees in lawsuits and criminal complaints. Civil Beat.

Rise in attacks by state hospital patients prompts call for change. KHON2.

Medical Pot And Veterans: Groups Offer Free Evaluations. The cost of getting evaluated usually far exceeds the price of the actual registration process for cannabis users. Civil Beat.

Honolulu EMS announces the need for more money. KHON2.

Warning signs posted after big sewage spill into Kaneohe Bay. The public is being told to stay out of Kaneohe Bay after a spill sent 30,000 gallons of sewage into the water. Hawaii News Now.

Kaimana the monk seal is hooked again. Kaimana the monk seal got hooked — a second time. This time, she needed help getting it out. Star-Advertiser.

$500K-plus micro condo units to hit Kakaako market. About 200 studios range from 277 square feet to 373 square feet, with the smallest of those starting between $500,000 and $600,000. Star-Advertiser.

Howard Hughes to open sales office for new Honolulu tower. Pacific Business News.

Petitioners want to preserve monkeypod trees at Manoa Marketplace. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Ige releases additional $1.3M for outreach, research in battle against rapid ohia death. Tribune-Herald.

Mayor Harry Kim’s lobbyist to the state Legislature appeared before a more local body Wednesday, where he defended his track record and pledged better communication with the County Council. West Hawaii Today.

The traffic signals are in place, but it may take until the end of the month before intersection improvements at Shower Drive and Highway 130 in Puna are complete. Tribune-Herald.

A former driver for The Arc of Hilo who sexually assaulted a physically and mentally disabled woman last year in a van owned by the nonprofit organization was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Makawao is Highest Priority Area for Cesspools, Public Meeting Announced. Maui Now.

Water Director Taylor remains at home. Water Department leadership in limbo following council vote in support of director. Maui News.

Kauai

Rats! signs of life. A rapid assessment team flew to Lehua Island Tuesday after checks of motion-detecting field cameras showed the presence of two rats. Garden Island.

Housing crisis lingers as additional rental unit bill deferred. A bill aimed at allowing homeowners to build small rental units on their land in order to help meet an affordable housing shortage was deferred to the end of February during a Kauai County committee meeting Wednesday. Garden Island.