U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele to be fined $1,000 for violating campaign spending law. U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele, who gave up a chance for reelection to Congress to instead run unsuccessfully for governor, was fined $1,000 after admitting to the state Campaign Spending Commission that he illegally used an 8-year-old list of donors to Gov. David Ige to solicit contributions to his own gubernatorial campaign. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.
Fishery council rebukes effort to expand Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. A Hawaii-based coalition’s effort to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is getting pushback from the fishery council crated by Congress to oversee that area of the Pacific. Hawaii News Now.
U.S. recession will weigh on Hawaii’s recovery, UHERO forecast reports. Hawaii might escape the worst of the looming U.S. recession, but its economy is not expected to start making satisfactory progress until 2024, according to a new forecast released Thursday by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.
The Return Of Japanese Visitors May Be Just In Time To Save Hawaii’s Economy. A day after Japan’s prime minister lifted all travel restrictions, UH economists issued a report saying the return of Japanese travelers could help spare Hawaii’s economy. Civil Beat. KHON2.
Public input sought on transportation infrastructure preferences for planning future infrastructure. The DOT is developing a 2045 Hawaiʻi Statewide Transportation Plan. The plan will map out the state’s public transportation construction projects for the next two decades. Hawaii Public Radio.
Bill would significantly boost funding to battle ohia disease. A federal bill that would more than double the state’s annual funding for rapid ohia death abatement has exciting implications, say state researchers. Tribune-Herald.
Residents are urged to get latest COVID-19 booster. They have been available in Hawaii since Labor Day weekend. As of Wednesday, 23,354 bivalent boosters had been administered in the state, according to DOH. Star-Advertiser.
Oahu
Honolulu’s Innovative Idea For More Solar Power. Honolulu Bill 46 aims to encourage new rooftop solar by allowing 12-foot high canopies with solar panels on top and gardens and gathering spacies underneath. Civil Beat.
Illegal structures still erected on Oahu’s North Shore. An imperiled stretch of coastline between Sunset Beach and Rocky Point on Oahu’s famed North Shore has increasingly become a free-for-all as owners of multimillion-dollar properties disregard Hawaii’s beach protection laws and scramble to save their homes from the unrelenting threat of powerful waves. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.
The state has poured $1B into Honolulu airport upgrades, but travelers aren’t impressed. The 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study ranks the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport as the second worst large airport in the continent. Only Philadelphia International Airport ranked worse. Hawaii News Now.
Task force recovers large cache of ghost guns, ammunition at Oahu home. A Waipahu man is facing federal firearms charges after he was allegedly caught with two dozen ghost guns and illegal parts.
Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Island
Some Inmates Were Stuck At The Hilo Jail Because They Couldn’t Post $15 Bail. A state prisons expert says she was surprised by how bad the conditions are at the Big Island corrections facility. Some of the inmates at the packed Hilo jail have been stuck there because they could not post bail in amounts as low as $15, and conditions at the facility are so poor they rival conditions at the infamous Rikers Island in New York City, a Hawaii corrections oversight panel was told Thursday. Civil Beat.
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported an uptick in seismicity, ground deformation, and surface lava at the summit for a brief period on Tuesday. Approximately 50 earthquakes were detected beneath Kīlauea summit between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday. Big Island Video News.
Laupāhoehoe Gulch Bridge to Undergo Repairs Following Hurricane Lane Damage. Contractors will be at the bridge, located along Laupāhoehoe Access Road in North Hilo, starting at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. Roadwork will be performed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. Big Island Now.
Mauna Loa reopens Visitor Center. Located in the middle of a 2,500-acre macadamia orchard near Hilo, the center — which was closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — is one of Hawaii Island’s most popular tourist destinations. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
Commission denies appeals of its decision on police chief complaints. An investigative report on a complaint against Maui Police Chief John Pelletier found the claims were not substantiated, according to the Maui Police Commission, which deferred action on a separate complaint and denied appeals on two others on Wednesday. Maui News.
This Is How Sea Level Rise Might Change Your Favorite Maui Beach Park. This summer they dealt with a massive swell that sent water over coastal streets, leading to road closures. In the weeks that followed, accelerated coastal erosion exposed iwi kupuna, or ancestral skeletal remains, along a West Maui shoreline. Civil Beat.
Maui Family Support Services gets continued funding with 5-year, $1M per year award. This five-year, $1 million per year award will allow the MFSS QCHK project to continue child care subsidy assistance to Native Hawaiian children and families on the islands of Maui, Moloka’i, and Lānaʻi. Maui Now.
Grand Wailea property-wide refresh marks its most extensive renovation in 30 years. The 40-acre resort fronting Maui’s Wailea Beach, presents a newly revitalized Botero Lounge, a total revamp of its exclusive Napua rooms, suites and private lounge, and the transformation of two dining venues into brunch restaurant, ‘Ikena, and grab-and-gourmet market, Loulu. Maui Now.
Kauai
Lane Closures Scheduled in Kapa‘a Starting Next Week. Over the next several weeks, traffics control configurations around the Mailihuna Road, Hau‘a‘ala Road, and Kawaihau Road intersection will be changing as construction progresses. Kauai Now.
Additional monkeypox case reported on Kauai, bringing state total to 34. A new case of monkeypox has been reported on the island of Kauai, bringing the state total to 34 cases. KITV4.
Trump’s transition team aims to kill Biden EV tax credit
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President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is planning to kill the
$7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicle purchases as part of
broader tax-r...