Board hears arguments over TMT permit. Defining the word “construction” took up a large part of a more than three-hour Tuesday hearing that could determine whether a permit to develop the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea is valid. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.
Covid Funds Help Hawaii Schools Tackle Absenteeism. What Happens When Those Are Gone?. While chronic absenteeism improved across the state last year, some groups of students still lag behind in their attendance rates. Civil Beat.
US ambassador to the United Nations stops in Hawaiʻi en route to Cook Islands. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is leading the United States delegation to the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. Hawaii Public Radio.
Transportation Department hopes to expand Red Light Safety program statewide. The Red Light Safety Camera Pilot Program has been “live” for a year and still has another year to go but officials are already hoping to expand the program, citing a decline in red light runners. But there are still a few issues that need to be ironed out, including how to ensure citations are paid. KHON2.
Broadband initiative targets lack of access and slow internet speeds. The state is releasing hundreds of millions of dollars for initiatives to connect more people to the internet — and improve services for those already online. The federal initiative recognizes that internet access is no longer considered a luxury. Hawaii News Now. Civil Beat.
Oahu
Audit finds long delays in Honolulu Department of Design and Construction projects. Honolulu improvement projects have been plagued by delays, according to the findings in a recent audit of the city’s Department of Design and Construction. Hawaii Public Radio.
Wage Bump Aims To Stem Departure Of Honolulu’s Deputy Prosecutors. In the midst of a workforce shortage, some city positions are getting big pay boosts. Civil Beat.
Makiki affordable rental project completed. Constructed in prefabricated concrete in under nine months, the building at 1427 Ernest St. will offer 24 studio apartments and two one-bedroom units, on a more than 5,300-square-foot property. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.
Ex-Mililani Athletic Director Gets Probation For Booster Club Theft. Glenn Nitta pleaded no contest to the theft of more than $400,000. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.
Wildfire concerns revive pleas for new emergency evacuation routes on Oahu. Three months since the Maui fires and communities all over Hawaii are re-thinking their own safety plans, including coastal areas on Oahu where thousands of people have no alternate escape routes. Critical areas include the west side, the North Shore, and the Windward side. Hawaii News Now.
Wildfire burns 1,638 acres above Mililani Mauka, 90% contained. Honolulu Fire Department officials say that they are transferring command of the Mililani Mauka firefighting efforts to the U.S. Fire and Wildlife Service, now that the remote wildfire is 90% contained with only “isolated smoldering pockets.” Star-Advertiser.
Stalled Train Temporarily Halts Service Along Skyline. No passengers were on board that driverless train, city officials say. They haven't said what may have stalled it. Civil Beat.
Honolulu Police Department warns of recent extortion scam. The Honolulu Police Department is warning the public about a rise in extortion cases over the past several weeks in which perpetrators impersonate law enforcement. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.
Hawaii Island
Hawaiian Home Lands Seeks $6M To Test For Geothermal Power. Research identifies DHHL lands in three areas of the Big island that show promise for development for geothermal power production. Civil Beat.
Big Isle police mourn death of former colleague. When former Hawaii Police Department officer Nicholas C.K. McDaniel was laid to rest Saturday in Post Falls, Idaho, numerous Big Island officers attended his funeral. Tribune-Herald.
150 Narcan kits given to Hawai‘i County to aid in fight against fentanyl. The Hawai‘i Island Fentanyl Task Force donated 150 Narcan kits to Hawai‘i County as part of the ongoing effort to combat the spread of fentanyl in the Big Island community as concern grows surrounding opioid overdoses. Big Island Now. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
Special council meeting to consider bill to fund the new Office of Recovery. The Maui County Council will hold a special council meeting Thursday, Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. to consider Bill 114, which seeks to: fund the new Office of Recovery; and add new conditional language for a Lahaina Wildfire Final Disposition site in Olowalu. Maui Now.
Maui Realtor’s Fire Relief Fundraiser Under Audit From AG’s Office. Churches who were recipients of money from Eric West have provided limited details of how they have spent it, but they are not required to do so. Civil Beat.
$54M contract awarded for temporary Lahaina elementary school. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $53.7 million base contract to a Waianae-based company to build a temporary elementary school campus for students displaced from King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was destroyed in the August wildfire. Maui News. Civil Beat. Maui Now.
Recovery still on the horizon for Lahaina. Gov. Josh Green is slated to provide a 90-day update on the Maui wildfire recovery efforts at noon today from the Governor’s Conference Room on the fifth floor of the state Capitol. Star-Advertiser.
Kauai
Visitor spending crosses $2B mark on Kaua‘i. The spending total climbed to $2.05 billion for the nine-month period ended Sept. 30 from $1.69 billion in the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2022, and $1.46 billion in the pre-pandemic nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2019. Garden Island.
House Finance Committee visits Kaua‘i. Members of the House Finance Committee, led by Chair Kyle T. Yamashita, and the Kauaʻi delegation consisting of House Majority Leader Nadine K. Nakamura, House Majority Floor Leader Dee Morikawa, and Rep. Luke A. Evslin made its way to the Garden Isle to view firsthand several projects and programs supported by the Legislature. Kauai Now.
Hawaii Marines first to get ‘ship-killing’ missile launcher
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Marines on Oahu are the first in their service to officially receive a new
“ship-killing” missile system they hope will give American forces an edge
in t...