State tax collections to take $125M hit while construction buoys economy, insurance costs cause condo sale slump, Health Department announces updated COVID vaccine availability, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Council On Revenues Projects Hawaii Tax Collections Will Be $125 M Less Than Expected. The forecast also said Hawaii is gradually recovering from the tourism slump triggered by last year's Maui wildfires, while the construction industry is booming. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii student debt relief program high on applicants but low on funds. A popular $30 million state program to pay off student loans to keep health care workers in Hawaii has run low on money, leaving organizers searching for new funding. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Health Department recommends updated COVID, flu, RSV vaccines. The Hawaii Department of Health is recommending residents get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines that are now available. On Aug. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the updated COVID vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, which target the KP.2 variant that was circulating earlier this year. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News.

Georgette Deemer dies at 71. She dedicated four decades to the state of Hawaii, serving in various roles in both the City & County and state government. KHON2.

Oahu

Hawai‘i’s Condo Insurance Crisis Is Now Hurting Sales. Sales fell 48% in Waikīkī and 38% in Makiki-Mō‘ili‘ili in June. Both neighborhoods have lots of underinsured, older condo buildings. Hawaii Business magazine.

City halfway through sweeping overhaul of Chinatown security camera system. Thirty of the 60 high-resolution cameras have been installed so far. The estimated cost for the full system is $980,000, with $450,000 coming from federal, state and local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Council wheels out e-bike measures. Two pieces of legislation meant to provide clearer safety standards and more regulation on the use of fast-moving electric bicycles on Oahu’s public roadways and sidewalks and in parks, rolled out of Honolulu Hale this week. Star-Advertiser.

Talks between nurses’ union, Kapi‘olani resume, but no deal reached. After another round of negotiations Thursday, the nurses’ union and management at the state’s largest hospital for women and children in Hawaii still have no agreed-upon contract. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Residents worry about concrete solutions for Wailupe Stream. Concerns over the future of Wailupe Stream which fishpond experts consider the last living major stream in East Honolulu. Hawaii News Now.

HHS, HPD round up aggressive, stray dogs on bike path. Reports of loose and dangerous dogs on the Pearl Harbor bike path prompted response from the police department and humane society. KHON2. KITV4.

Waianae’s Keamo family pleaded for help with ‘Silva dome’ in 2021. The Keamo family, who lost three members in their neighbor’s violent rampage along Waianae Valley Road on Saturday night, had pleaded with state officials in 2021 to address their concerns about illegal and dangerous activity associated with the man’s nearby, unpermitted party venue business. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Standing granted for 3rd petitioner opposed to controversial proposed Punalu‘u development. The Hawai‘i County Windward Planning Commission on Thursday granted standing to a third organization for a contested case hearing involving a proposed controversial $350 million residential and commercial community project adjacent to a popular Ka‘ū beach park. Big Island Now.

Hamakua Energy plans to convert power plant to 100% renewable fuels. A Honokaa power plant that provides about a third of the electrical power for the island is planning an upgrade. Tribune-Herald.

General Plan Meetings Set For September, October. Multiple community meetings and an online webinar will take place this month. The plan goes before the Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions in November. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Controversial Monster Home Goes On Sale For $13 Million In West Maui. A real estate listing for the compound that triggered years of bitter feuds with neighbors comes with a warning: "Buyer to do their own Due Diligence." Civil Beat.

Housing and Land Use Committee meeting canceled due to technical issues. Housing and Land Use Committee Chair Tasha Kama announced that Thursday's committee meeting was canceled because automated email notifications were not sent when the meeting agenda was posted. Maui Now.

Emergency permits in motion to remove Baldwin Beach Park pavilion. The County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced it has applied for emergency Shoreline Management Area (SMA) permits to remove the Baldwin Beach Park pavilion, which has been damaged over time by high surf and rising sea levels. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Norovirus confirmed as cause of illness for campers on popular Kaua‘i trail. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health laboratory results confirmed norovirus as the cause of illness reported by numerous campers at the Kalalau Section of the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kaua‘i. Kauai Now.

Resurfacing work on roadway scheduled in Kapa‘a. A portion of Ulu Street in Kapa‘a will be closed for resurfacing work starting on Sept. 9. The road will be closed till Sept. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. One lane will remain open to accommodate alternating traffic in both directions. Kauai Now.

4.5k units get building exemptions under emergency proclamation, Mallory named Deputy Adjutant General, state has no 'stand your ground' law to protect man who shot Waianae attacker, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Brig. Gen. Phillip Mallory Named Next Deputy Adjutant General. Brig. Gen. Mallory, currently the commander of the 154th Wing, Hawaiʻi Air National Guard, will succeed Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan on October 1st. Big Island Video News. Maui Now.

4,500 affordable residential units secure building exemptions under emergency proclamation. Nine affordable housing projects, decided by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corporation director, have received building exemptions through the governor’s proclamation.So far, over 4,500 units on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Maui have received building exemptions. Hawaii Public Radio.

Thousands of local hotel workers begin strike after talks stall with top chains. Strike lines are up at eight Hawaiʻi hotels — seven on Oʻahu and one on Kauaʻi.  Hawaii Public Radio. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu businesswoman Kim Coco Iwamoto is shaking up Hawaii politics. Video Only. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

State law required arrest of Waianae attacker’s killer, HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan says. Responding to questions about why the man who stopped his neighbor’s deadly rampage was arrested, Logan spoke generally about self-defense, saying Hawaii is not a “stand-your-ground state.” Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

‘Silva dome’ linked to attacker in Waianae was unpermitted. The city Department of Planning and Permitting has investigated at least 20 community complaints over the past two decades related to the house involved in Saturday’s Waianae Valley Road shooting. Star-Advertiser.

Some Small Businesses In Kailua Town Are Closing As Costs Continue To Climb. Restaurateurs say the challenges they face are more complex than simply high rents. Civil Beat.

City rolls out CORE bus to curb Honolulu homelessness. CORE workers will drive the bus to encampments, parks, beaches and surrounding areas to identify, evaluate and transport the unsheltered to the city’s Leahi or Aala respite center and shelter, when homeless people agree to accept such help, city officials said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

Kapi‘olani nurses give notice of planned 1-day strike. The Hawaii Nurses’ Association on Tuesday filed 10 days’ notice that its 600 nurses at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women &Children will strike again Sept. 13. It would be a one-day strike on a Friday.  Star-Advertiser.

DLNR reports 14 hikers arrested at Haiku Stairs. The 14 hikers were arrested by Honolulu police over the past six days, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. All face criminal trespassing charges. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.  KITV4.

Hawaii Island

New call center fails inspection. The long-delayed opening of the Hawaii County Emergency Call Center has been pushed back once again because the facility on July 29 failed a building inspection. Tribune-Herald.

Roadside vendors bill stalls. A County Council committee on Tuesday once again postponed a decision about Bill 184, which would establish a process for people to apply for a permit to sell wares on county roads, after council members raised several more questions about how the process would work. Tribune-Herald.

New NAS Swimming Pool facility opens to the public. After more than four years, the Hilo pool reopened Tuesday morning after a quick ceremony and blessing followed by recreational swimming time. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Maui

HCF, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $2.128M to purchase fire trucks for the Maui County Fire Department. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced the award of $2.128 million to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation, to be used for the purchase of four new fire trucks for the Maui Fire Department.  Maui Now.

Climate Advocates Want Tourists To Rent Electric Vehicles. Maui Shows Why That’s Hard. Transitioning rental car fleets to EVs could help the state meet its ambitious energy goals, but "range anxiety" leaves customers concerned about making it around the island. Civil Beat.

Mandatory water restriction in place for Central Maui residents. According to BWS officials, under a stage one shortage declared Tuesday, residents and businesses in 11 areas are only allowed to irrigate their properties two days a week. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Organizers push for public shoreline access in West Maui, removal of beachfront condos. A legal battle is brewing over an effort to save beachfront condos in West Maui that were built in the '70s and are now threatened by erosion. KITV4.

Kauai

Suspected norovirus among 24 campers results in closure of popular Kaua‘i trail. The Kalalau Section of the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kaua‘i is closed after an illness, suspected to be the norovirus, has made numerous campers ill. Kauai Now. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.

Immediate water conservation request issued for Princeville area customers. The order was issued by Princeville Utilities Co. Inc. Additionally, the Kaua‘i County Department of Water is asking its customers located on Anini Road, Kalihiwai Valley Estates and a portion of Kuhio Highway, near Hanalei Plantation Road, to abide by the conservation request. Kauai Now.

Audit blasts state handling of rail money, Aloha Stadium to stay in Halawa, UH president under fire, Health Department reaches settlement with dairy, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Train car assembly PC: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

State Auditor Blasts DAGS For Failure to Verify Rail Invoices. The Office of the Auditor has issued a blistering report on the failure of state accounting officials to adequately verify invoices from the transit agency developing the Honolulu rail system. Hawaii Public Radio.

Latest Audit: Agency ‘Arbitrary,’ ‘Inconsistent’ In Reviewing Rail Costs. The Hawaii agency that oversees rail spending lacks the proper rules, training and procedures to make sure its reviews are sound, the latest audit finds. Civil Beat.

The state auditor released another report Thursday relating to Honolulu's $9.2 billion rail project. KITV.

Full audit rail oversight report. Lack of Fundamentals: Review of the Department of Accounting and General Services’ Verification of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s Invoices. Hawaii Office of the Auditor.

HART work went off the rails, report says. One of the new Honolulu rail cars was damaged in an “incident,” and another work vehicle that runs on the rail line derailed twice in January, prompting the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to issue a “safety stand-down” letter last month suspending vehicle operations, according to rail officials. Star-Advertiser.

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Hawaii Island’s tourism decline contributes to state softening. Tourism performance was mixed across the isles in February with double- digit dips in spending and arrivals from Hawaii island contributing to statewide softening. Star-Advertiser.

Push To Increase Spending On Schools Loses Momentum. Policymakers say more transparency about current spending is needed before more public money is earmarked for schools. Civil Beat.

Faculty union blasts UH president, but stops short of calling for his resignation.  During a contentious Board of Regents meeting Thursday, members of the University of Hawaii’s faculty union blasted school President David Lassner for his handling of proposed budget cuts that would have forced dozens to lose their jobs. Hawaii News Now.

Former high-ranking ILWU official Nate Lum pleaded guilty Thursday to identity theft in federal court. Lum also admitted he failed to file federal tax returns. But under a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop a theft charge against him. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Review affirms keeping stadium in Halawa. An alternative site analysis released Thursday by the Aloha Stadium Authority marked a step in the process of replacing the 44-year-old facility and recommended a new stadium and ancillary development be built within the same 98-acre parcel. Star-Advertiser.

Planning For New Stadium Assumes It Would Be Built In Halawa. The current site of Aloha Stadium is the preferred site for construction of a new facility that would include an adjacent business district. Star-Advertiser.

The Stadium Authority marked the beginning of the Environmental Impact Statement and master planning process for a new proposed Aloha Stadium. KHON2.

The Stadium Authority announced Thursday that it is beginning the Environmental Impact Statement and master planning process for a replacement for Aloha Stadium. Pacific Business News.

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Arizona Memorial access to be restored ‘by fall,’ officials say. The National Park Serv­ice said Thursday it has awarded a $2.1 million contract for repairs to a faulty USS Arizona Memorial dock that should be completed “by fall” — in time for the next Dec. 7, 1941, remembrance. Star-Advertiser.

The National Park Service has awarded the contract for repair of the anchoring system for the USS Arizona Memorial dock.  KHON2.

Homelessness dominates public safety concerns at Waikiki conference. Honolulu Police Department Chief Susan Ballard pledged to improve public safety by working with Waikiki stakeholders to make the state’s top tourism district “uncomfortable” for homeless people. Star-Advertiser.

Couple defies city by attending to Kakaako homeless. A Kaimuki couple with a new city contract to provide mobile hot showers for Oahu’s homeless are defying the city in two ways: by continuing to operate twice a month next to the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center and by regularly feeding about 50 homeless people in the area. Star-Advertiser.

Moanalua ‘workforce’ housing complex expansion completed. A 50-year-old affordable rental home complex in Moanalua received a blessing Thursday following the addition of nearly 500 new midprice homes. Star-Advertiser.

40 residents, employees at Honolulu senior facility fall ill; officials suspect norovirus. Hawaii News Now.

Library re-stocking shelves a year after flooding damaged contents. The Aina Haina Library has been closed for almost a year now since just after the historic flooding. KHON2.

Summer Palace of King Kamehameha III vandalized again. KHON2.

Oahu Publications Inc. has sold its 152,574-square-foot print production facility in Kapolei and the 11.61 acres of land beneath it in a $40 million leaseback transaction. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

A bill to provide Hawaii County with $60 million to assist with recovery from last year’s Kilauea eruption is expected to have its final vote today in the state Legislature. Tribune-Herald.

Tourism official: ‘It hasn’t been that great of a start to the year’. Big Island tourism has fallen to near-2017 numbers in the aftermath of the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory To Move To Oahu? Senator Mazie Hirono pressed the Interior Secretary Nominee to get more feedback before making any decision to relocate the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HVO to Oahu. Big Island Video News.

The state Department of Health on Thursday entered into an agreement with the owners of Big Island Dairy as its operations draw to a close. Under the agreement, Big Island Dairy’s owners are required to terminate dairy operations, remove all cows from confinement on the site, clean and remove the existing wastewater system, and pay $79,000 by June of 2019, either as an administrative penalty or to fund an environmentally beneficial project in the area. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Dairy, Health Department Sign Consent Agreement. Big Island Video News.

A second case of rat lungworm disease has been contracted on Hawaii Island this year, the Hawaii Department of Health announced Thursday. No cases have been reported on any other island in 2019. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui Harbor District Office Relocated, Blessed. This work is part of the Harbors Division’s facility improvement projects planned throughout the commercial harbor system that is aimed at supporting the state’s economic growth and maritime industries. Maui Now.

The battle against climate change got a boost Wednesday when Hawaii and California public utility commissions announced that they’ll be teaming up to fight the green fight. Maui News.

Police and courts dealing with more mental health cases. Another round of Crisis Intervention Team training completed. Maui News.

Kauai

Local health clinic awarded $1.4M. A community health center on Kauai focused on providing care to Native Hawaiians will be getting over a million dollars in federal funding. Garden Island.

The Lihue Business Association’s Thursday meeting at Duke’s Canoe Club focused on medical marijuana. Garden Island.

Hawaii voters seek legal marijuana, Oahu teacher sprays sanitizer into mouth of swearing student, Election Commission report due today, Senate sets priorities, norovirus outbreak in hospitals, Kauai council mulls rainy-day fund, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pohakuloa military training area (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

The Marine Corps stands to see the biggest military increases in Hawaii in coming years as other services here go through less of a change and as all shift from a wartime footing to greater engagement in Asia and the Pacific, officials said at an annual military-business conference Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii has lost a lot of firepower in the U.S. Congress, when it comes to the military, with the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye, but the state’s younger congressional delegation and its strategic importance will ensure that it plays an important part in the country’s pivot to the Pacific. Pacific Business News.

More than half of Hawaii voters want the state to follow the lead of Colorado and Washington and make recreational marijuana legal for adults, a new poll shows. Civil Beat.

The state Election's Commission is expected to release the findings of its investigation into problems during November's general election at a meeting on Friday morning. Hawaii News Now.

Thousands of public correctional, institutional and health workers will receive pay raises in the next six months under a draft arbitration award that could lead other public employees to seek similar raises. Star-Advertiser.

Representatives from the state Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teacher's Association will resume negotiations on Friday, nearly a month after the teacher's union rejected the state's latest proposal. Hawaii News Now.

The uproar over Hawaii’s solar tax credits will fuel a good deal of the debate on energy policy this legislative session, which opens next week. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Co. customers will be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars if the utility doesn't switch to liquefied natural gas to power its generators, the executive vice president of the company says. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Senate Majority Caucus today unveiled its priorities for the 2013 Legislative Session, which begins on January 16. Hawaii Reporter.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, with Senator Mike Gabbard as the Chair, will host an informational briefing on invasive species issues on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. in Conference Room 229 in the State Capitol. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii lacks a state-funded preschool program, something that Gov. Neil Abercrombie is making a top legislative priority this year. Civil Beat.

The state will bestow the prestigious Aloha Order of Merit upon former US Sen. Daniel K. Akaka during a ceremony on Monday, January 14. Maui Now.

Island Air, the interisland carrier that has struggled to find its niche among rivals Hawaiian Airlines and Mesa Air Group's go!, is being sold to an undisclosed buyer. Star-Advertiser.

Exhibit highlights honor bestowed upon Japanese-American veterans. Star-Advertiser.

State health officials monitoring outbreak of possible norovirus. KITV4.

State roundup for January 11. Associated Press.

Oahu

The cost of construction delays tied to a recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that suspended the city’s $5.26 billion rail transit project are coming in lower than anticipated, the project’s oversight agency announced Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials said Thursday the costs of construction delays for September and October stemming from an Aug. 24 Hawaii Supreme Court were 31 percent lower than what they had anticipated. Pacific Business News.

Members of Defend Oahu Coalition gathered at City Hall on Thursday to urge state and city government leaders to stop the planned expansion of Turtle Bay Resort. Star-Advertiser.

A 79-year-old man who was paralyzed by a fall 15 to 20 feet from the illuminated first tee at the Mid Pacific Country Club late at night in 2009 was awarded about $6.2 million in a jury verdict Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

One of the figures in the Stevie Wonder Blunder, Hawaii promoter Bob Peyton, died Thursday morning at Castle Medical Center. Hawaii News Now.

A Hawaii extreme sports athlete plans to liven up a dingy block in Kakaako with a year-round fairgrounds featuring a stationary surfing wave, skateboard park and go-kart track. Star-Advertiser.

An Oahu middle school teacher is on leave after allegedly squirting hand sanitizer into the mouth of a eighth-grade student on Wednesday in front of the class. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Windward Planning Commission was poised Thursday to give the Connections Public Charter School a failing grade for its Kaumana campus proposal. Tribune-Herald.

Waimea’s North Hawaii Community Hospital on Thursday appointed an interim CEO and hired a consulting firm in an effort to improve the facility’s financial performance and attract a permanent chief executive officer. West Hawaii Today.

A professor of Hawaiian language believes he has traced the ancestors of Hawaii’s first inhabitants to the remote, Polynesian Outlier atolls to the southwest. Tribune-Herald.

The same day plaintiffs in a lawsuit against 1250 Oceanside Partners announced they had reached an impasse after several years of negotiations, a South Kona property owner signed a $13 million complaint against the developer. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island's economy is gradually improving, but it still has a lot of catching up to do to match other parts of the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui
Complete with nine different teaching laboratories, an observatory, a rooftop garden, wind turbines and a photovoltaic system, University of Hawaii Maui College's long-awaited $26 million science facility is expected to open in the next few weeks. Maui News.

David Raatz Jr., the new director of Maui County's Office of Council Services, had worked as a legislative attorney for the same office for 16 years until March 2012. Maui News.

Maui Memorial Park is planning to rebuild 153 feet of wall within the next three to four weeks, cemetery officials said this week. Maui News.

Kauai

After routinely ending each recent fiscal year with tens of millions of dollars with a budgetary surplus, the county may start using some of that money for a permanent rainy-day fund. But will it cost more to taxpayers? Garden Island.

Five Kaua‘i residents have been selected to appear on the ballot for the board of the Kaua‘i Island Utilities Cooperation. Garden Island.

After a few weeks in plain view on the island’s busiest traffic corridor, the graffiti on the rockwall of the southbound Wailua Bridge was removed Wednesday. The same cannot be said about the graffiti at the bridge’s foundation. Garden Island.