Beach bacteria monitoring halted, COVID-19 community testing urged, drones to enforce Maui stay-at-home order, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Testing for bacteria at Kona beach ©2020 All Hawaii News

State halts beachwater bacteria testing for duration of coronavirus shelter-at-home order. All routine coastal beach water monitoring has been suspended, in order to comply with Gov. David Ige’s shelter-in-place order aimed at halting the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Hawaii State Department of Health announced today. Star-Advertiser.

Beach water quality monitoring on hold during stay-at-home orders. The state health department said Tuesday that it is suspending all routine coastal beach monitoring during Governor Ige’s stay-at-home orders. Hawaii News Now.

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Lt. Gov. Josh Green calls for more extensive testing. Lt. Gov. Josh Green and other community physicians are calling on state health officials to do more extensive testing for coronavirus, as Hawaii gears up for the peak of the outbreak in the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Who should be tested for COVID-19? Not even the lieutenant governor and DOH appear to agree. Lt. Gov. Josh Green on Tuesday urged his fellow healthcare providers to take coronavirus testing to the next level. Hawaii News Now.

Rapid Test Kits Coming But Not For Community Testing. The state is expected today to get the new rapid coronavirus test kits that can produce results in about 15 minutes. Hawaii Public Radio.

Blood test could determine immunity response to COVID-19. The medical practice, “Doctors of Waikiki” are expecting the blood test to arrive anytime now, they said delays due the virus affected the shipment. KHON2.

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HVCB is asking partners to stop encouraging travel to Hawaii. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, which markets Hawaii to U.S. travelers, is asking publications not to promote travel to Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

What 2 Know: doctors detail how to prepare home, family for COVID-19. In the days of COVID-19, you don’t only need a lock and key to keep your family safe. KHON2.

Corrections officers complain about lack of basic protection at facilities. Corrections officers at two separate Hawaii facilities told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that they are not being issued face masks, sanitizers or other equipment they need to safely do their jobs at the state’s jails and prisons. Star-Advertiser.

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Hawaii’s coronavirus cases climb by 23 to 410, with 16 new hospitalizations. Hawaii Department of Health officials said today that the state’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 410, up 23 from Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii COVID-19 Infections Now Exceed 400. The state reported 23 new cases and noted that the number of people hospitalized by the virus has risen to 42. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Coronavirus Cases Eclipse 400. Hawai‘i is reporting 23 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed overnight, pushing the statewide total past 400. Big Island Now.

Actively sick COVID-19 growth rate dips negative for first time in Hawaii. There are fewer people actively sick with COVID-19 in Hawaii compared to the day before, for the first time since numbers started being tracked in early March. KHON2.

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Hawaii Businesses Affected By COVID-19 Could Face Tough Fights With Insurers. Hospitality industry executives in Hawaii and elsewhere are pushing for insurers to pay claims related to government-ordered shutdowns. Civil Beat.

Paycheck protection loan program is expanded for Hawaii businesses and workers. The self-employed in Hawaii, along with independent contractors such as ride-share drivers, can start applying Friday for forgivable federal loans to help them survive economic impacts from the new coronavirus. Star-Advertiser.

Election Officials Ask Voters To Update Signatures. It helps to ensure the integrity and security of mail-in ballots. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Mayor: Vacation Rentals Not Essential. Oahu vacation rentals are not essential businesses and should not be taking in visitors, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said today. Hawaii Public Radio.

As total for COVID-19 cases tops 400, Honolulu’s mayor urges residents not to get complacent. Honolulu’s mayor struck an optimistic tone Tuesday, saying that sweeping mandates aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus in Hawaii appear to be working. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu police have issued more than 5,000 warnings in connection with coronavirus emergency orders. The Honolulu Police Department is toughening up enforcement of the mayor’s stay-at-home, work-at-home order and the governor’s emergency proclamation in response to the new coronavirus. Star-Advertiser.

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New Honolulu Tent Program Will Allow Social Distancing For The Homeless. The Keehi Lagoon Park site will be able to accommodate as many as 50 people and their pets. More sites are planned. Civil Beat.

HPD sets up tents at Keehi Lagoon to serve homeless during coronavirus pandemic. Tents have been set up at a Honolulu city park to help the homeless community practice social distancing and to give them a safe place to quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Police to monitor new homeless triage facility to help stop spread of coronavirus. Spear-headed by the Honolulu Police Department, POST provides a location for homeless individuals to exercise social distancing in a controlled area. KHON2.

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Caldwell Stops Waimanalo Project ‘Indefinitely’ After Bone Discovery. But the mayor pointed to COVID-19 and the safety of protesters as the reason to stop work, reversing his position from a day earlier. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell pauses Sherwood Forest construction plan. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says he is pausing the city’s plans to construct a field at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park after an iwi fragment was found by a contractor Monday at the site. Star-Advertiser.

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Whole Foods Kailua worker tested negative for coronavirus, company now says. Whole Foods officials said this afternoon that the Kailua store employee who was presumed to have the coronavirus has actually tested negative for COVID-19. Star-Advertiser.

Ala Moana Center boss jumps to Ward Village. A veteran leader in Hawaii’s retail industry and manager of the state’s largest shopping center has joined a rival local retail property developer. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Quarantine enforcement impeded by lag in getting traveler data from state tourism agency. Mayor Harry Kim said Tuesday that county police aren’t receiving in a timely manner the names of interisland travelers subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic and where they are staying. Tribune-Herald.

‘They never checked in:’ Kona woman who returned from New York questions quarantine enforcement. Kona resident Vaiva Winder was visiting family in Europe when Hawaii got its first coronavirus cases back in March. To get home, she traveled 8,000 miles and through five airports – Istanbul, Turkey to New York City to Honolulu then home to Kona. Hawaii News Now.

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Office closed but candidate filing continues. Almost halfway through the candidate qualifying period, the process of pulling nomination papers and filing for local races has come to a screeching halt now that the county Elections Division is closed to the public. West Hawaii Today.

Kanealii-Kleinfelder pulls papers for mayoral race: Puna Councilman still to decide his political future. If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. Or perhaps it’s just a shot over the bow that Puna Councilman Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder made by pulling nomination papers to run for mayor. West Hawaii Today.

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Downtown Hilo site of multiple homeless camps is cleared, fenced. A downtown Hilo property that repeatedly has become an unpermitted homeless camp during the past year is now under county control. Tribune-Herald.

Hawai‘i County Tears Down Hilo Homeless Camp For Second Time. The County of Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Island Police Department and various other departments on Tuesday tore down and cleared out a homeless encampment full of illegal structures behind Agasa Furniture in Hilo. Big Island Now.

Hope Services Did Not Agree With Clearing Of Hilo Encampment. The nonprofit organization took to social media to set the record straight as to its involvement in Tuesday's enforcement action on Punahoa Street. Big Island Video News.

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HCCC Inmate Released Amid COVID-19 Concerns Reoffends. At least one prisoner released from Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center as part of an effort to reduce the jail population during the COVID-19 pandemic has landed back in custody for criminal acts. Big Island Now.

County to restrict some services at transfer stations. Starting next week, Hawaii County transfer stations will reduce functionality in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Police To Use Drones To Enforce Stay-At-Home Order. The department says the drones are fitted with public announcement capabilities. Civil Beat.

Mayor Victorino announces food distributions for Wailuku, Kahului and South Maui on Thursday. Mayor Michael Victorino announced two food distributions taking place on Thursday, April 9, to provide bags of produce to individuals impacted by COVID-19 in Wailuku, Kahului and South Maui. KITV4.

Mayor COVID-19 Update: April 7, 2020, 4 p.m. Mayor Michael Victorino announced two food distributions taking place Thursday, April 9, to provide bags of produce to individuals impacted by COVID-19 in Wailuku, Kahului and South Maui. Maui Now.

$2.37 Million Secured for Community Health Centers in Maui County. An additional $2,375,810 was secured for Community Health Centers in Maui County as par of a Third Coronavirus Relief Legislation package that Congress passed in March. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai responds to coronavirus with crackdowns and compassion. For the first time since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the islands, Hawaii National Guard troops deployed on Kauai on Tuesday to help county police staff checkpoints designed to clamp down on unpermitted travel around the Garden Island. Star-Advertiser.

‘Where are you going?’ The Hawai’i National Guard assisted the Kaua‘i Police Department with two checkpoints on the island yesterday. Garden Island.

Retail stores begin mask requirements. Mayor Derek Kawakami has “strongly recommended” businesses and services still in operation to require employees to wear cloth masks and suggested businesses require customers over the age of 10 to wear cloth masks upon entry. Garden Island.

Oahu newly homeless numbers increase, red light cameras, stiffer DUI laws mulled in Legislature, vacation rentals grow on Maui, drop on Oahu, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Homeless man along the Ala Wai in Honolulu ©2020 All Hawaii News

Nearly 7,000 became homeless in 2019 on Oahu. Oahu was overwhelmed with 6,924 people who became newly homeless in 2019. Star-Advertiser.

Guidelines proposed for legalization of stun guns. Hawaii’s law tightly restricting possession of electric “stun guns” is being challenged in court as an alleged infringement on people’s Second Amendment rights, and state Attorney General Clare Connors is now proposing lawmakers strike it from the law books and adopt a new system to regulate privately owned electric guns such as Tasers. Star-Advertiser.

After 106 traffic deaths last year, lawmakers push for drastic changes to roadway laws. A push for safer streets seems to have gained some traction at the Hawaii State Capitol. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Medicaid Patients May Have Fewer Insurance Choices. The state’s decision to consolidate insurance plans could particularly affect people with limited incomes on the neighbor islands. Civil Beat.

Case continues quest to change Jones Act. A trio of bills introduced Dec. 19 by Case seeking to exempt Hawaii from the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 — better known as the Jones Act — haven’t yet been scheduled for committee hearings, but the veteran lawmaker remains undeterred in his effort to change the 100-year-old law. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Is Seriously Short On Census Job Applicants. Hawaii’s census response rate is among the lowest in the nation. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Hawaii Innocence Project To Host Prosecutor Candidate Debate. Five candidates are expected to participate in the Tuesday debate. Civil Beat.

Legal battle over e-signatures pursued amid effort to impeach Honolulu prosecutor.  Those wanting Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro impeached have taken their case to a federal judge. Hawaii News Now.

Number of Oahu vacation rental units is shrinking. The number of residential vacation rentals on Oahu continues to fall, according to the latest monthly Hawaii Tourism Authority study released this week. Star-Advertiser.

What was once just a vision for Oahu’s homeless is now a thriving community. Kahauiki opened in January 2018 and just reached its 2-year anniversary. The Institute for Human Services hosted a Wellness Day for Kahauiki Village residents with various booths and services. Hawaii News Now.

Board of Water Supply looking to unload Haiku Stairs. "Due to mounting security costs and liability concerns, BWS is proposing to take down Haiku Stairs," part of the study reads. KITV4.

Homeowner wants to rebuild on Hibiscus Drive. One week after a fire and shooting in a quiet Diamond Head neighborhood left four people dead, including two Honolulu police officers, numerous onlookers visited the street, some to pay respects and others to get a glimpse of the destruction. Star-Advertiser.

Kalihi Elementary School is cutting back on single-use plastics thanks to a cafeteria upgrade. More than 500 volunteers worked together to improve the campus of Kalihi Elementary School on Saturday. Hawaii News Now.

Certain algae help Kaneohe Bay corals weather warmer seas. A unique algae may be helping corals at Kaneohe Bay become more resilient to climate change, but the algae might also cause the corals to eat less, according to a study by University of Hawaii researchers. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Rate hike blasted: Opposition mounts to Young Brothers’ request for 34% increase. Hawaii Island residents have an opportunity to respond to the state’s only regulated interisland ocean cargo shipping company’s request for a 34% rate increase. Tribune-Herald.

DHHL Chair Aila Grilled On Mauna Kea Access Road. DHHL chair William Ailā gave an update on the "final adjudication and compensation" for the contentious road leading to the summit of Maunakea. Big Island Video News.

More intervenors in PGV docket. Three organizations — Tawhiri Power, Hu Honua Bioenergy and Puna Pono Alliance — have filed motions to intervene in a docket before the state Public Utilities Commission regarding an amended and restated power purchase agreement between Hawaii Electric Light Co. and Puna Geothermal Venture. Tribune-Herald.

Lifesaving equipment to reach firefighters sooner. When lifesaving equipment like Jaws of Life extrication tools are donated to the Hawaii Fire Department but then sit months in a warehouse until the paperwork is completed and the donation is formally accepted by the County Council, something needs to change. West Hawaii Today.

Lawsuit: Guards Had Suicidal Inmate Cuffed, Let Him Bleed To Death. A wrongful death lawsuit alleges that guards at Kulani Correctional Facility failed to render aid to a dying inmate and that it only came to light when another inmate came forward. Civil Beat.

Expanding for emergencies: ER at NHCH increases in size to 13,000 square feet. North Hawaii Community Hospital will quadruple its emergency room size with the opening of the new facility on Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui Mayor Wants Federal Help With Island Sustainability. Civil Beat caught up with the mayor at a recent event in Washington, D.C., to discuss climate change, his hope to turn Maui into Hawaii’s food basket and the U.S. Supreme Court. Civil Beat.

Report: Maui Tops State in Vacation Rental Supply. In December 2019, Maui County had the largest vacation rental supply of all four Hawaiʻi counties at 293,000 unit nights–a 28 percent increase compared to a year ago, according to a report from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Maui Now.

Maui parrotbill might wing it to the mainland following reintroduction setback. It was 13 years ago that the U.S. Forest Service formally recommended establishing a second population of the critically endangered kiwikiu, or Maui parrotbill, to significantly lower its risk of extinction. Star-Advertiser.

Conference held on Maui for prosthetics, orthotics. Losing a limb is one thing, but being crippled by insurance systems is quite another, according to athlete, amputee and advocate Nicole Ver Kuilen. Maui News.

Kauai

‘UFO’ defeated. Eight months after a large, metal object appeared out on the reef in the bay near Aliomanu, the unidentified floating object, nicknamed the “UFO,” was removed from the beach thanks to combined efforts of the state and the community. Garden Island.

Tax payments due soon.  County officials remind property owners that the second installment of real-property taxes for the 2019-20 tax year are due by Thursday, Feb. 20. Garden Island.

Investigation ongoing after two police officers killed, landlord stabbed, 7 homes burned down near Waikiki, disgruntled tenant missing; plus more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Downed police officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama PC: Honolulu Police Department.

First responders still on scene at Diamond Head after man fatally shoots 2 HPD officers before raging fire destroys 7 homes. First responders remain at the scene of Diamond Head on Monday morning, a day after a “tragic unfolding of events” that started with a stabbing and ended with the shooting deaths of two Honolulu police officers and a raging fire that destroyed seven homes. Hawaii News Now.

Body camera footage shows 2019 encounter between suspect, officer killed in line of duty. At least one of the Honolulu police officers who was shot and killed in the line of duty Sunday had previously been dispatched to the suspect’s home in response to emergency calls, according to video obtained by Hawaii News Now. Hawaii News Now.

2 officers killed, homes destroyed in standoff. The Honolulu Police Department on Sunday mourned the loss of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to an apparent tenant-landlord dispute that blew up into a multihome fire near Diamond Head and left three others missing, including the shooter, who was presumed dead. The Honolulu Police Department on Sunday mourned the loss of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to an apparent tenant-landlord dispute that blew up into a multihome fire near Diamond Head and left three others missing, including the shooter, who was presumed dead. Star-Advertiser.

Man facing eviction fatally shoots 2 Honolulu police officers before blaze destroys 7 homes in Diamond Head neighborhood. In a shocking series of events Sunday, a 69-year-old man facing eviction is accused of fatally shooting two Honolulu police officers who were responding to the scene of a stabbing and then apparently setting a raging fire that destroyed seven homes in Diamond Head. Hawaii News Now.

Man Facing Eviction Allegedly Killed 2 HPD Officers, Stabbed Landlord. The shooting suspect is believed to have also started a fire in the neighborhood that destroyed at least seven houses. Civil Beat.

7 Homes Burn After Shooter Kills 2 Honolulu Officers. Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard says it may take several days to process the Diamond Head area crime scene where two Honolulu police officers were shot and killed Sunday morning. Hawaii Public Radio.

Homes burn after shooter kills 2 Honolulu officers. A man shot and killed two police officers Sunday as they responded to a home in a leafy neighborhood beneath the rim of a famed volcanic crater near Waikiki Beach, authorities said. Associated Press.

HPD gives details on "senseless, selfish act". Suspect Jerry Hanel is accused of killing Officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama, then setting a fire. KITV4.

Mayor on officers that were shot and killed: They ‘put on their uniforms this morning and didn’t get home’. Police Chief Susan Ballard confirmed Jerry Hanel to be the suspect in the shooting that killed two officers on Sunday, Jan. 19. Chief Ballard said that officers responded to the scene after a report of a stabbing. KHON2.

Suspect suffered from mental health problems. The Honolulu Police Department believes the man suspected of shooting and killing two patrol officers, stabbing his landlady and destroying by fire seven homes in an exclusive Diamond Head neighborhood Sunday perished in the Hibiscus Drive house where he lived. Star-Advertiser.

Shooting suspect had history of mental instability but not extreme violence. The 69-year-old suspect in the Diamond Head shooting Sunday that left two Honolulu police officers dead had a history of mental instability and disagreements with neighbors, his attorney told Hawaii News Now. Hawaii News Now.

Neighbors, witnesses give more insight on suspect Jerry Hanel. Early Sunday morning, many woke up to panic and chaos as first responders rushed to Hibiscus Drive where two officers were shot and homes burned. KHON2.

2 slain Honolulu police officers were parents. Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard identified the two Honolulu police officers as Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama. Star-Advertiser.

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Ige pledged to end homelessness in Hawaii by 2020. What happened? "In hindsight maybe it was too aggressive, too aspirational.” Hawaii News Now.

Legislature launches environmental caucus. To encourage legislative action on pressing environmental issues, the state Legislature has formed an Environmental Legislative Caucus. Garden Island.

State: Tax collections up. Total state tax collections were up almost 5% in Fiscal Year 2019, which ended June 30. Tribune-Herald.

Attorney general seeks funds to fight corruption. State Attorney General Clare Connors is requesting an extra $1 million a year for pay increases to be distributed among the 200 lawyers that work in her office, and is seeking 10 additional staffers for a new unit designed to pursue complex cases including public corruption and theft from state programs. Star-Advertiser.

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Solar generation up 21% in 2019, Hawaiian Electric says. Hawaiian Electric announced Friday that it experienced a 21% jump in solar generation capacity last year, its largest-ever annual increase for the five isles it has served since 2005. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric: Solar Capacity Surged in 2019. The completion of large grid-scale projects and thousands of residential solar systems boosted the largest-ever annual increase in solar capacity on Hawaiian Electric’s five island systems, the company announced Friday. Maui Now.

Oahu

Using a new law, Honolulu goes after scofflaws and drafts rules for 1,700 new B&Bs. Over the next year, Kathy Sokugawa, acting director of the city Department of Planning and Permitting, faces the mammoth task of rooting out illegal vacation rentals that have proliferated on Oahu, in defiance of a three-decades-old ban. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu’s top civil attorney Donna Leong is in limbo. Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced a year ago that City Corporation Counsel Donna Leong was granted paid administrative leave from her post after receiving a target letter from the U.S. Department of Justice. Star-Advertiser.

Law enforcement hopes capture of crime ring players will help bring crime under control. City and federal law enforcement officers are pursuing two crime rings that they suspect are responsible for a portion of the recent wave of property and violent crimes that has put Oahu on edge. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office has noted that about a dozen high-profile violent crime cases referred to their office since 2015 have been committed by current and former HOPE probationers. In six of these, police shot the suspect, and in three of the cases killed him. HOPE stands for Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation With Enforcement. Launched by 1st Circuit Court Judge Steven Alm in 2004, the high-intensity supervision program assigns sanctions — typically several days in jail — every time a participant violates probation terms like using drugs or missing appointments with a probation officer. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Bus system ‘meltdown’ leaves schoolchildren, working poor stranded. After a week of even fewer buses than usual, Mayor Harry Kim on Friday called an emergency meeting and together, top officials came up with an interim plan that will draw on buses and vans from the public and private sector, in addition to those of current bus contractors Roberts Hawaii and Polynesian Adventure Tours Inc. West Hawaii Today.

Judge hands down maximum sentence to Waiki accomplice Malia Lajala. A fifth accomplice was sentenced Friday to six years in jail for her role in assisting Justin Waiki after the July 2018 murder of Hawaii County Police Officer Bronson Kaliloa. West Hawaii Today.

Aloha, Southwest! Airline opens interisland service to Hilo. More than 100 passengers were greeted with cheers and songs Sunday morning after disembarking Southwest Airlines’ first flight from Honolulu to Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Mayor to deliver State of County Feb. 11. Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino will be delivering his 2020 State of the County address on Feb. 11 at the newly opened South Maui Community Park Gymnasium. Maui News.

Maui police tow two cars under new DUI law. DUI arrestees will have their car towed rather than stay in place. KITV4.

EVohana charger transfer conditionally OK’d by PUC. The state Public Utilities Commission has approved Hawaiian Electric’s plan to own and potentially operate four EVohana sites on Maui that uses pricing to entice electric vehicle drivers to plug in during the day when solar power is plentiful. Maui News.

Saving Materials and More in Maui County. Since its launch in 2018, Hawai’i Materials Recycling says it has saved Maui County taxpayers millions of dollars. Maui Now.

Kauai

National CAP commander visits Kauai. A briefing on the communications capabilities of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operating Center concluded the vist of Civil Air Patrol National Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Smith and his entourage, Thursday at the EOC. Garden Island.