Task force to investigate permit delays, voter overcount found in 2024 Kauai election, COVID cases rise, $400M housing aid coming to Maui wildfire survivors, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Task force created to investigate permitting delays statewide. Act 133 directs the state House of Representatives to work with a group of state and county officials to investigate and recommend action that the Legislature can take to address permitting delays. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii health officials urge vigilance as COVID cases rise again.  The Hawaii Department of Health today reported the statewide test positivity rate — or percentage of all tests that are positive — at 12.4% as of Saturday, up from 10.9% the previous week.  Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  KITV4.

Cuts to SNAP could deepen food insecurity in Hawaii. A new report by the Urban Institute finds that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits failed to cover the cost of a modestly priced meal in 99% of U.S. counties last year — and new federal legislation may widen the gap. Star-Advertiser.

Local food production advocates seek funding source for farmers after USDA cuts. Advocates for food production are looking for alternate funding sources for farmers after the federal government slashed $400 million from the nationwide Regional Food Business Centers program. Hawaii Public Radio.

Drastic changes could be coming to Hawaii's cruise industry. The State Department of Transportation plan reduces 50% of state greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. But to reach those goals it recommends cutting in half the number of cruise ships making calls in the islands. With a 75% reduction by the year 2035. KITV4.

Search Begins For New Kamehameha Schools Trustee. Trustees earn up to $186,000. Kamehameha Schools is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on its five-member board of trustees that controls the assets of one of the largest charitable trusts in the United States. Applications are due Sept. 1. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Farming Dispute On North Shore Highlights Zoning Challenges. Hawaiʻi needs more locally grown food, but plans for a vertical farm and aquaculture operation near Sunset Beach Park violate zoning rules and threaten the community character, critics say. Civil Beat.

Allegations of unsafe staffing triggers an ultimatum for Hawaii’s largest hospital. The Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA) says Queens Medical Center has not enforced nurse to patient ratios outlined in HNA’s new contract which was ratified in January. Hawaii News Now.

From supplies to haircuts, nonprofit helps families get back-to-school ready in Ewa Beach. The nonprofit Child & Family Service is welcoming families to its Ewa Beach office at 91-1841 Ft. Weaver Rd. this Saturday, July 26, from 2 to 6 p.m. Students in grades 6-12 can receive school supplies, including Sprayground backbacks (while supplies last), as well as physical exams by Physical Solutions and haircuts by Superior Blendz Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

 Falls of Clyde’s voyage has come to an end. A chapter in Hawaii’s maritime history is coming to a close. Shipwright LLC have started removing the 146-year-old Falls of Clyde. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

2 women found dead under Hilo banyan prompts scrutiny of other trees. Mayor Kimo Alameda said he has started surveying banyan trees across Hawaiʻi Island. He said the trees can act as hiding places, so some people live in them. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald.  Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

Lawsuit Alleges Mentally Disabled Inmate Was Preyed Upon. Drake Terlep was reportedly afraid to leave his cell in the Hilo jail, and finally killed himself. Civil Beat.

Maui

Wildfire survivors can tap into nearly $400M in aid. Maui County plans to begin accepting applications on Aug. 11 from low- and moderate-income households to replace housing lost in the disaster, which county officials say destroyed about 5,500 residences including rental apartments. Star-Advertiser.

County completes Amala Place cleanup with 16 cars towed, 13 tons of trash removed. A two-day dispersal of more than 40 homeless people and the subsequent cleanup of Amala Place was completed Saturday morning with 16 vehicles towed and 13 tons of trash removed, according to Maui County officials. Maui News.

New fire station coming to Olowalu. The West Maui Improvement Foundation announced that the Olowalu fire station project has raised enough money to be built. KHON2.

Mayor Bissen announces return of Maui County Fair with rides Oct. 2-5. The 98th Maui County Fair is now being supported by the County of Maui and will be held at War Memorial Special Events Complex. The fair did not continue after 2019 due to financial and other challenges. Maui Now. Maui News. 

Kauai

Investigation Finds Vote Discrepancies In 2024 Kauaʻi Election. A state Elections Commission subcommittee found evidence that the state counted hundreds more ballots than were cast on Kauaʻi. Civil Beat.

Brown water advisory issued for two bays on Kaua‘i. According to a press release from the Hawai‘i Department of Health, the advisories are for Wailua Bay and Hanalei Bay, which is 26 miles north.  Kauai Now.

Hawaii imports most seafood, motorists worst in the nation, training of foreign troops intensifies at Army ranges, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Do you know where your fish comes from? It's probably not Hawaiʻi. The fish sold and prepared in Hawaiʻi is mostly a mix of local and foreign. The most cited breakdown comes from a 2012 study that estimated about 57% of all seafood consumed in the state between 2000 and 2009 was imported. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii’s motorists are worst in the U.S., survey says. Based on a survey of 5,000 Americans with a driver’s license — 100 respondents in each state — Hawaii ranked first for changing lanes or turning without signaling, going 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit and running red lights. Star-Advertiser.

Training by foreign troops increasing in Hawaii at Army ranges. Hawaii is becoming an increasingly active training ground for militaries from around the Pacific and beyond. This month the Army ran an exercise that brought 900 foreign service members to the islands to train alongside 9,000 American troops. Star-Advertiser.

Design to replace state Capitol reflecting pools is taking shape.  Finishing touches are being applied to the design for a waterless representation of the ocean to replace dysfunctional reflecting pools around the state Capitol, paint dot by paint dot applied by roughly 2,000 people across Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Emergency rent, utility help available for Native Hawaiian families impacted by wildfires on Maui, Big Island in 2023. Native Hawaiian families experiencing financial hardship because of the wildfires on Maui and the Big Island in 2023 and are in need of help with rent and utility payments now have another resource that can help them as they continue to recover. Big Island Now.

Oahu

Volunteers work days, nights to ensure secure Hawaii election. The approximately 80 official observers are part of the overall contingent of 320 “counting center officials” who have volunteered for various jobs on Oahu this election year. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu’s e-bike working group updates Council. Following reports of the dangerous and unlawful operation of electric bicycles across Oahu, the City and County of Honolulu formed a working group to study how best to regulate the controversial machines and their often underage riders. Star-Advertiser.

Ala Wai harbor redevelopment is urged. Pau Hana Place, a popular neighborhood eatery on a parcel at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, has closed following a battle over the terms of its revocable permit, and come December the state says it plans to temporarily turn the parcel into a parking lot until it can pursue a request for proposals to complete the community’s vision for the site. Star-Advertiser.

‘It actually hurts’: Ala Wai storm debris inundates boat harbor. Waikiki Yacht Club members said when it rains, it’s normal for debris to flow down the Ala Wai, but nothing quite like what they saw on Saturday. Hawaii News Now.

Lead Detected Near Marine Corps Shooting Range Revives Safety Concerns. The Marines say the results are nothing to worry about. Their neighbors and the health department have a different view.  Civil Beat.

The city’s CORE team vows to keep addressing North Shore homelessness. A city team of emergency medical technicians and homeless outreach workers returned to Wahiawa and the North Shore last week, encountered a dozen homeless people and promised to keep coming back to provide first aid, wound care, social services, shelter beds and, ultimately, stable if not permanent housing. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii grown: School lunch made entirely of local ingredients. Friday’s school lunch at Laupahoehoe Public Charter School was one of a kind in the state. Tribune-Herald.

‘Winter is here’: Snow blankets Mauna Kea summit. Mother Nature is definitely being tricky with the weather today at the summit of Mauna Kea, but with precautions in place such as the access road being closed, many Big Islanders are finding the scenery to be more of a treat just in time for Halloween. Big Island Now.

Hōkūleʻa Arrives In Miloliʻi For Two-Week Stop In West Hawaiʻi. The seven-month Pae ʻĀina voyage around the Hawaiian Islands will cover 3,000 miles, before Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia resume the Moananuiākea Circumnavigation of the Pacific in March 2025.  Big Island Video News. KHON2.

Road Resurfacing In Hilo Industrial Area Planned For November. Starting November 4, crews will be conducting road paving on Makaʻala Street, Holomua Street, Poʻokela Street, and Wiwoʻole Street. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui Considers New Law To Regulate Homeless Sweeps. A Hawaii Supreme Court ruling against the county prompted a bill to establish procedures for property removal and a right to shelter. Civil Beat.

Maui County Council makes moves on new East Maui Water Authority director, water resolution, more. Maui County Council met Friday morning and voted on a number of matters including a new East Maui Water Authority Director, a resolution regarding recycled water, funding for a Maui nonprofit and more.  Maui News.

Offering $25-$50 per animal, state officials seek Maui landowners’ help controlling axis deer populations. Facing continuing problems with the high number of axis deer in Maui County, state officials are looking for private landowners’ help to take some of the animals off the landscape. Maui News.

Mayor Richard Bissen to travel to Japan for disaster recovery program. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen will be traveling to Japan on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, to participate in the Kibou for Maui project in Japan. Maui Now.

Maui County weighs how to legally rebuild Lahaina's historic structures. This week, the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee considered a bill that would allow Lahaina buildings that don’t conform to current zoning codes to be rebuilt after the fire. Hawaii Public Radio. Maui Now.

Maui unemployment modest a year after disaster. A state report published Monday showed that the unemployment rate on Maui was 4.0% in September. That compares with 3.2% for all of Hawaii and 3.9% for the nation. A year earlier, Maui’s unemployment rate was 8.9%. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

KIUC looking for 2025 Board Election candidates. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative announced that the deadline for a KIUC board candidate application or a petition requesting to be considered for a KIUC board candidate is Nov. 14. Garden Island.

Pedestrian traffic to be restricted on part of Kūhiō Highway during slope stabilization. Due to safety concerns, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation will be restricting pedestrian traffic through the 24/7 single lane closure on Kūhiō Highway at the Waikoko Hairpin Turn at milepost 4.7. This impacts pedestrians using the route to the “Tourist Lumahai Beach.”  Kauai Now.