Budget will be priority in summer special session, Maui mulls private swimming pool moratorium, crime boss Miske's 9-year-old granddaughter in line for part of $25M fortune, federal trial begins in $11M affordable housing scam, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lawmakers will prioritize the state budget when special session convenes. Senate and House leaders are weighing details of a special session amid talk of a possible recession. Lawmakers are looking at dates at the end of August, September, and the week before Thanksgiving, as three possible five-day blocks to set aside if they would need to return to a special sessions. Hawaii Public Radio.

Legislation could help farms provide more fresh produce for school meals. House Bill 1293 seeks to exempt state Department of Education purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products of less than $250,000 from the electronic procurement system requirement. Star-Advertiser.

'The show must go on': Local arts and cultural programs work to stay afloat amid losing grant money. Several culture and arts organizations in Hawai‘i received a letter from the National Endowment for the Arts stating that their grants have been canceled. Hawaii Public Radio.

It was crunch time again at the Legislature. It’s not unusual for lawmakers to be dashing about, sometimes hectically, on this key procedural deadline under which members of conference committees are tasked with resolving differences on many bills where a pending draft is not satisfactory to leaders in the House or Senate or both. Star-Advertiser.

Police, state support legislation to monitor parts for ghost guns.  Honolulu police and state law enforcement officials are hoping a proposed piece of federal legislation will help stop the proliferation of untraceable, homemade firearms in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

EPA orders closure of 5 illegal cesspools on Kauai, Big Isle.  More than $231,000 in fines  were issued to the property owners, including the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Haili Moe Inc. and Hale Nanea, citing violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Can Fine Airbnb, Vrbo for Illegal Vacation Rentals. It Never Has. Like other tourist destinations, Honolulu passed a law to hold booking platforms accountable for illegal listings. But the city hasn’t cited any company, even as illegal rentals flourish. Civil Beat.

Mike Miske’s 9-year-old granddaughter part of legal battle over his fortune. Crime boss Mike Miske’s 9-year old granddaughter could get a portion of his assets, valued at over $25 million. The federal government filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit in an effort to take his assets: homes, luxury vehicles, cash, artwork and boats. Hawaii News Now.

DPP combats coconut rhinoceros beetles in urban Honolulu. Damage linked to the palm tree-killing coconut rhinoceros beetle has become more obvious in urban Hono­lulu, according to city officials. Star-Advertiser.

Health department cites Par Hawaii Refining for hazardous waste violations. The Hawaii Department of Health issued a notice of violation and order against Par Hawaii Refining for violating the state’s hazardous waste management laws. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Federal trial begins for men accused of housing credits scam. A federal trial is set to start today for two Hilo attorneys --  attorneys Paul Sulla Jr., 78, and Gary Zamber, 55 — along with 64-year-old businessman Rajesh Budhabhatti -- accused of receiving Hawaii County affordable housing credits and land conveyances worth at least $10.98 million, with no intention of developing affordable housing. Tribune-Herald.

Fraud expert aims to educate community in Pāhoa this Thursday. AARP elder fraud expert Paul Greenwood, a former deputy district attorney, will be hosting a free “Fight Fraud Together” presentation beginning at 10 a.m. at the Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility on Thursday.  Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui County mayor unveils program to help Lahaina rebuild. The Deferred Payment Loan Program, announced Monday, is designed to help middle-income, gap-group families who may not qualify for federal disaster recovery funds but continue to face significant financial barriers to reconstruction. Maui News. Maui Now.

Maui Looks Elsewhere To Fund Fire Prevention Projects After Trump Cuts. Wildfire is the biggest threat facing Maui, according to the county’s draft Hazard Mitigation Plan but FEMA cuts could require a pivot to other funding sources. Civil Beat.

Maui County Council to consider moratorium on private swim pools in West Maui. According to Maui County Council, supplying water to support stable housing for West Maui residents is an urgent priority and a private swimming pool is an amenity that requires a large quantity of potable water without serving any essential housing needs. Maui News.

Kauai

Planning Department reminds the public of upcoming events. The Planning Department reminds and invites the public to attend two upcoming events, at which they may share their input regarding the Kauai Climate Action and Action Plan and the East Kauai Community Plan. Garden Island.

Hawaii sued over gun ban, state agency seeks to fix 'failing' foster care system, Honolulu advances empty home tax, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lawsuit Challenges Hawaii’s Gun Ownership Ban For Young Adults. The latest lawsuit to take aim at Hawaii’s gun laws challenges the state’s ban on gun ownership for young adults 18 to 20 years old, which Second Amendment advocates say is an unconstitutional restriction on the right of Americans to bear arms. Lawyers assert that Hawaii is the only state with a complete ban on acquiring and owning firearms and ammunition by those who are 18 to 20. Associated Press.

Hawaii agency details plan to improve ‘failing’ foster care. Daisy Lynn Hartsfield, administrator of the Social Services Division overseeing the Child Welfare Serv­ices Branch within the state Department of Human Services, presented corrective action plan goals to a panel of state lawmakers Thursday in the wake of alarming findings in the audit requested by the Legislature in 2022. Star-Advertiser.

Report: Hawai'i suicide hotline calls increased while answer rates dropped. The results showed that call rates rose from about 97 to 137 per 100,000 residents following the Maui wildfire — that’s a 41% increase. But in-state answer rates dropped from about 90.3% to 77.2%. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Sheriff Division Faces New Scrutiny In 2019 Capitol Shooting Trial. A civil trial over a former deputy sheriff’s fatal shooting of a man outside the State Capitol five years ago began this week in a case that cast a spotlight on turmoil in the understaffed sheriff division. Civil Beat.

Gov. Josh Green's concerns about Trump's Cabinet picks. Green expressed concern over some of Trump's Cabinet appointments, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s selection to head the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as Dr. Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hawaii Public Radio.

The ‘Ridiculous,’ Growing Trend Of Hawaii Private School Coaching. Tutoring centers helping students with private school admissions have become more popular in recent years, but not all families can afford them. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council’s empty-homes tax measure advances.  Thursday the Honolulu City Council’s Budget Committee voted 3-2, with Esther Kia‘aina and Augie Tulba dissenting, to advance the second of three readings of Bill 46, which could tax a vacant real property by as much as 3%. Star-Advertiser.

West Oahu May Get More Than 800 New Short-Term Rentals In Apartment Zone. Parcels next to the Hoakalei Resort in Ewa were a hot topic at the Honolulu City Council’s final hearing on the overhauling of its Land Use Ordinance. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting improves review times. It's also aggressively trying to double its current staff and has upgraded its software so now you can track the status of your permits. KITV4.

Par Hawaii to invest $90 million in renewable-fuel transformation. A petroleum refinery in the James Campbell Industrial Park officially began its transition into the clean- energy sector with a blessing ceremony Thursday, marking the start of its efforts to adopt more sustainable energy practices and work toward Gov. Josh Green’s goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045.  Star-Advertiser.

HPD pushes for tougher ‘ghost gun’ laws amid spike. The 88 ghost guns recovered by the Honolulu Police Department this year come from crimes they were used in or were found during investigations. The seizures represent a nearly 70% increase from the 52 found by officers in 2023. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Coast Guard establishes first Hawaii-based JROTC program. Coast Guard establishes first Hawaii-based JROTC program. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s recycled plastic, asphalt road shows ‘no increased leaching’ in 2 years. Some Ewa Beach residents have been driving on a road that is partially made of recycled plastic for over two years. KHON2.

Navy to start 'large-scale' effort to remove invasive coral at Pearl Harbor. Unomia stolonifera is a species of “octocoral,” also known as “pulsing coral” or "stoloniferous fire coral," and was first detected in the harbor in 2020. Hawaii Public Radio.

DOH: No humans tested positive for H5N1 from infected flock. The Hawaii Department of Health says so far, no one has tested positive for avian influenza after the first detection of H5N1 in a flock of ducks and geese last week. DOH followed up with 54 individuals for potential exposure to the infected flock in Wahiawa. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Proposal regarding hospitals advances. In order to improve health care access across the Big Island, the Hawaii County Planning Department hopes to expand where hospitals and other medical facilities are allowed to be built. Tribune-Herald.

Hope Services Hawaii Granted $2.5 Million From Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. The grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez will help connect Hawaiʻi island families experiencing homelessness with stable housing and critical services. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Modular home hauling for Lahaina happening Friday and Saturday. The Hawai’i Department of Transportation said Thursday that local drivers may expect slight traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are being transported from Central Maui to the Ka Laʻi Ola housing site. Maui News.

State Historic Preservation Division working to streamline Lahaina approvals. In an effort to reduce delays and frustration for residents and commercial property owners preparing to rebuild in fire-ravaged Lahaina, the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) is working to balance speed and efficiency with protection of historic and archeological resources, particularly iwi, department officials said. Maui Now.

Panel discusses how ancestral knowledge can guide Lahaina rebuilding following 2023 wildfire. Hundreds gathered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for the 2024 Piʻo Summit: Hulihia: Fire and Rain, a free series of forums focused on leveraging ancestral ʻike (knowledge) to support long-term recovery efforts for communities affected by the Lahaina wildfires and the 2018 Kauaʻi floods. Maui Now.

New Kahului homes blessed and move-in ready for two healthcare professionals impacted by the Lahaina fires. The first two completed homes under the Housing for Healthcare initiative were blessed in a private ceremony held with the two new tenants and their families, both Maui healthcare professionals who lost their homes and belongings in the devastating Lahaina fires last year. The families moved into their homes this month. Maui Now.

Maui bus gets stuck in sinkhole the size of a small swimming pool. A Maui bus made an unexpected stop Wednesday when pooling water on a Kahului Street turned out to be a growing sinkhole and the rear wheels of the bus got stuck in the hole. Maui News. Maui Now.

Hawaii News Now responds to Maui Police Department accusations. The Maui Police Department says it has lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over reports by HNN Investigates about the mishandling of human remains after the Lahaina wildfire. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Community partners feted for wildfire efforts. Various community members and agencies were honored at an awards ceremony Tuesday for their heroic efforts during mid-July wildfires. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

Hotel worker, nurse shortage persists, Honolulu backs off Sherwood Forest development plan, 'alarming' spike in ghost guns, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Travel demand creating historic opportunities for Hawaii hotel employees, but labor shortage persists. Hawaii hotels are looking to fill thousands of jobs statewide as the hospitality industry, one of Hawaii’s top economic drivers, continues a recovery this year that’s projected to surpass 2019’s pre-pandemic levels. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Amid severe shortage of nurses, Hawaii nursing schools reject 100s of qualified applicants. While Hawaii’s hospitals grapple with a dire shortage of nurses, nursing schools across the state are rejecting hundreds of qualified applicants. The reason: There aren’t enough instructors to teach them. Hawaii News Now.

Minimum-wage increase coming Oct. 1. Hawai‘i’s minimum wage will rise to $12 per hour on Oct. 1, and then will go up by $2 every other year until it reaches $18 per hour on Jan. 1, 2028. Garden Island.

A Hawaii Supreme Court ruling has inmates in legal limbo — held behind bars even though their charges are no longer valid. Prosecutors grapple with ‘impossible’ situation after serious criminal charges against scores are invalidated. On Oahu alone, prosecutors have identified 160 people who were charged with serious crimes by criminal complaints whose cases now have to go before a grand jury for an indictment. Hawaii News Now.

Federal agencies report alarming spike in illegal ghost guns, attachments on Hawaii streets. Federal agents are sounding the alarm about illegally obtained ghost guns and other gun parts they’re finding in Hawaii homes. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii public schools: White teachers, Hawaiian students. For the 2020-2021 school year, there were 174,704 students attending Hawaii public schools, according to the annual report published by the State of Hawaii Department of Education. There were also 11,627 public school teachers. KHON2.

DLNR looking for volunteers for habitat restoration project at Kure Atoll. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is looking for volunteers for a six-month habitat restoration program at the Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Star-Advertiser.

Bank of Hawaii, venture fund join to boost state’s growth. Mana Up, an accelerator and venture fund for Hawaii-based products, said Wednesday it is partnering with Bank of Hawaii to boost the success of Hawaii entrepreneurs in an effort to diversify the local economy. Star-Advertiser.

Shidler donates $1 million to UH’s law school. Business leader Jay H. Shidler has donated $1 million in cash to the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii to establish the Dean’s Innovation Fund, encouraging legal education that keeps pace with today’s fast-changing business landscape. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Hawaii health officials report 1,343 new COVID-19 infections, 10 coronavirus-related deaths. The state’s average positivity rate, meanwhile, increased slightly to 6.7% compared with 6.4% reported the previous week. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Oahu

Start of rail ridership hinges on damage, repairs to pillars. The severity of damage from hairline cracks on pillars that hold up the rail system’s overhead tracks could delay the launch of paid ridership expected early next year, the head of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said. Star-Advertiser.

A Major Overhaul Of Honolulu Land-Use Rules Has Been Quietly Advancing. Now, Some Say Not So Fast. The wide-ranging bill would change zoning rules for thousands of Oahu properties. But it has gone largely unnoticed until now. Civil Beat.

City agrees to cease controversial Waimanalo development project. A three-year battle to redevelop Waimanalo Bay Beach Park is now on hold indefinitely. The Blangiardi administration confirmed Wednesday a settlement with the Friends of Sherwood Forest and closed its Special Management Area Permit. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Neighborhood Parking Zones Are Still Not Being Set Up. Here’s Why. Oahu residents covet neighborhood street parking, but a pilot study to manage and restrict those spaces has been stuck in limbo for five years. Civil Beat.

Fatal ambulance fire linked to oxygen device. Preliminary findings from the investigation into a fatal ambulance fire in Kailua point to a portable oxygen regulator as the cause of the August incident. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Homeless roadmap: Permanent housing, detoxification lead priority list. Providing permanent housing with support systems and treating substance abuse problems in homeless individuals are the two top priorities for the use of some $10 million annually the county has devoted to homeless programs. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaiʻi County Hires New Solid Waste Division Chief. The County announced Michael Rivera has been hired to head the Department of Environmental Management's Solid Waste Division, replacning acting chief Michael Kaha. Big Island Video News.

State agencies fail to find proof of reported big cat on Big Island. In August, a Holualoa man anonymously reported seeing a wildcat near his property, taking some blurry photographs of the animal before it scampered away. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui mayor, council move to acquire Lahaina Crossroads after tenants face eviction. After longtime residents, including kupuna on fixed incomes, spoke out about looming evictions at one of the last affordable apartment rentals left in Lahaina, county leaders are making moves to purchase the 20-unit Lahaina Crossroads, located building blocks away from Front Street. Maui Now.

Fishermen Spot First Humpback Whale of the Season off South Maui. It is the earliest sighting of the beloved mammals in the past 24 years. Maui Now.

Kauai

Surfrider Foundation Kaua‘i Sponsors International Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday. Surfrider Foundation Kaua‘i is sponsoring a marine-debris cleanup at Nukoli‘i Beach on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as part of global International Coastal Cleanup Day. All are encouraged to attend. Garden Island.