Governor urges caution as measles hits state, Legislature mulls tax hikes on hotels, cruise ships, $170M condo insurance relief bill aims for June implementation, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Vaccines urged as Hawaii confirms measles case in child under 5.  The state Department of Health on Tuesday announced the measles case in an unvaccinated child on Oahu who recently returned from international travel with family. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. KITV4.

Hotel, cruise ship tax hike aims to reduce wildfire, climate risk. Tourists would collectively pay millions of dollars more each year to stay in Hawaii hotels and on cruise ships to help the state address climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires under a bill approved Tuesday by the full House. Star-Advertiser.

Tax Bills Win Preliminary Approval From Hawaiʻi Lawmakers. The House and Senate are also considering allowing legalized gambling for the first time in state history. Hawaiʻi lawmakers advanced bills to increase an assortment of state taxes along with measures to legalize sports betting and levy a green fee on visitors to help pay for climate change mitigation in floor voting Tuesday. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers endorse subsidized housing for state employees. House Bill 1298 proposes to provide grants and loans to develop leasehold condominiums on state land in transit-oriented development areas predominantly for state workers with moderate incomes as a way to help recruit and retain employees. Star-Advertiser.

$170 Million Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund hopes to help associations with insurance shortfalls by June 1. Officials are now meeting weekly to try and get the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund up and running to try and get help to condo owners this summer. KHON2.

Lawmakers’ Effort Falters To Keep Cops From Taking Property Before Conviction. Police agencies insist they need to take suspects’ property to fight crime, but reformers argue the system has been abused. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s college and career readiness indicators demonstrate mixed trends. The College and Career Readiness Indicators Summary Report,  released last week by Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, presents both progress and concerns, tracking key metrics such as graduation rates, standardized testing performance, dual credit participation and college enrollment. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi deadline nears to get a Real ID-compliant card. Starting May 7, adults will need Real ID driver’s licenses or ID cards — which meet federal guidelines — to check in for flights or enter some federal buildings. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

State and Honolulu County in negotiations over major land deal. At the center of the deal is city-owned land under the Alii Place office tower, which both the city and state government have had their eye on for years, because it is close to both the state Capitol and Honolulu Hale, and could be a convenient new home for government offices and even lawmakers during major renovations. Hawaii News Now.

Investigation underway after service member found dead at Wheeler Army Airfield. It’s unclear how long the decedent had been there. Sources confirm the man’s body showed signs of decomposition. Hawaii News Now.

HPD’s AustinEwaliko suspended after allegedly releasing Jan. 1 Aliamanu information. A five-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department had his police powers suspended after he allegedly pulled information about the investigation into the deadly Jan. 1 Aliamanu fireworks explosion and gave it to suspects. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

Pilot in 2019 Oʻahu Helicopter Crash Wasn’t Properly Certified, FAA Says. The FAA says a whistleblower was correct in saying the owner of the helicopter tour company shouldn’t have certified the pilot, but investigators didn’t substantiate allegations of broader problems. Civil Beat.

Crummy conditions plague Oahu park, garden. A group of volunteers just wants to grow their own food, but they say they are dealing with threats, damage and unsanitary conditions at Makiki District Park. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Mayor touts early success; Alameda gives State of the County Address, claims ‘best start ever’. “I got to tell you, best start ever. You heard it. Best start ever.” Straight from Mayor Kimo Alameda’s mouth, that was the overarching theme of his first State of the County Address, which he delivered Tuesday to an audience of his cabinet and prominent supporters at Nani Mau Gardens in Hilo. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

ACLU Files Amicus Brief On Police Failure To Record Interrogations. In a Hawaiʻi Supreme Court case involving the Hawaiʻi county police, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi requests the law require police to record custodial interrogations. Big Island Video News.

Hawai‘i County reaches agreement with nonprofit to address treated sewage entering Big Island waters. Hawaiʻi County is taking steps to address treated sewage discharged from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant flowing into Honokōhau Small Boat Harbor six miles south of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Big Island Now.

Hawaiʻi County seeks to study how Waikoloa evacuates during a disaster. Hawaiʻi County wants to move around some federal funds in order to pay for a new Waikoloa Village evacuation study. The study would estimate how long it takes residents to escape the village in the event of a disaster like a wildfire or a hurricane. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Residents oppose Lahaina rebuild over pool, water concerns. A number of Maui residents testified Tuesday against a proposal by a Lahaina property owner to substantially rebuild a two-story house to what it was before the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire. Maui News.

Maui County residents invited to sign up for new evacuation planning platform. Residents and visitors of Maui County are encouraged to download the app, which will allow users to view predetermined evacuation zones, track live statuses and receive real-time notifications. Hawaii Public Radio.

Haʻikū fire station construction expected to go out for bid in September. A notice to proceed with construction of the Haʻikū Fire Station is scheduled for April 2026, if all permits and entitlements are approved. Then, in July 2028, the fully outfitted station is expected to be ready to house firefighters, fire trucks and other equipment. Maui Now.

Kauai

Additional lane, road closures and water service shutdown planned in various areas. Here’s a look at some additional upcoming lane and road closures along with a water service shutdown planned around the Garden Isle during the next week. Kauai Now.

First Honolulu rail segment slated to open in July, mayors on Oahu, Big Island and Kauai mayors hold state of the county addresses, EPA proposes water standards for PFAS, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Residents will soon have the chance to ride the rail this year, according to Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. The  rail project is on track for an interim opening this July. The opening will allow service from East Kapolei to the Aloha Stadium. KHON2. Hawaii News Now.

Tourism industry hopes to cash in this spring break, but visitor forecast remains unclear.  The Hawaii Tourism Authority said visitor numbers for March are trending back to normal. Last year, the islands saw nearly 800,000 visitors during spring break. That was up 40% from 2021. Before the pandemic, Hawaii saw nearly 1 million visitors in the same month. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s New Deputy Economy Chief Has A Powerful Business Partner In The Senate. The business partner of a powerful senator is on his way to being confirmed as deputy director for Hawaii’s economic development agency. Dane Wicker, a former chief of staff to Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz and co-owner of Kilani Brew with the senator, cruised through a Senate committee hearing on his nomination Tuesday.  Civil Beat.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Have Been Found In Hawaii’s Environment.  In move that could have a big impact in Hawaii, EPA proposes water standards for PFAS.  Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Auditor calls out OHA for lax and risky real-estate planning.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been building its real estate portfolio over the past couple of decades to the point where it is now the 13th-largest landowner in Hawaii with holdings valued at more than $421 million.  Star-Advertiser.

UH sex misconduct bill tackles growing problem. A proposal to require the University of Hawaii to ramp up prevention of sexual violence, and support for survivors, is moving through the state Legislature as incidents on college campuses in Hawaii persist at a level the measure calls “pervasive.” Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii bill would name limu kala as state seaweed. Limu kala, a type of seaweed that is endemic to Hawaii, would become the state limu if House Bill 819 is passed. Star-Advertiser.

Bill aims to underscore threat of coffee leaf rust. Hawaii farmers battling a devastating parasite might not get much relief from proposed legislation that would formally declare coffee leaf rust an invasive fungal disease. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

Mayor Blangiardi vows to address city’s ‘wicked problems’.  During his third State of the City address, Mayor Rick Blangiardi vowed Tuesday to address some of Oahu’s most intractable “wicked problems” by easing homelessness, reducing traffic through better-coordinated signal lights, and overhauling the city’s troubled Department of Planning and Permitting. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Massive first responder campus could include hotel, helipad and much more. The plan to consolidate state, federal and county first responders is already underway. The land is located in Central Oahu, Mililani, and is currently an Albezia forest with two plots one 150 acres and the other 93 acres respectively — not far from Wheeler Army Airfield.  KHON2.

New warning sirens will be tested across Oahu. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency will test new or upgraded warning sirens this week at six locations on Oahu. The tests will sound various alert tones which will be audible in the surrounding area, but there is no hazard, and members of the public need not take any action. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Mayor Mitch Roth stresses clean energy and housing in State of the County address.  Aging infrastructure, affordable housing and clean energy are just some of the top priorities this year for Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth. Hawaii Public Radio. Big Island Now.

Heavy snow won’t delay removal of observatories. Two Maunakea observatories are still scheduled to be removed within a year, despite snowier-than-normal conditions. Tribune-Herald.

Holualoa reacts to initial cleanup of mold-infested school. Cleaning has begun at Holualoa Elementary following several press conferences related to problems with molds, rats and other unsanitary conditions on campus. Tribune-Herald.

Record rainfall swamps spots on Big Island in February, including 56 inches at one site.  Just three Big Island rain gauges measured less than 100% of their average rainfall for February, with several spots in Kaʻū and on the windward side of the island recording rain totals up to nearly six times greater than average.  Big Island Now.

Maui

Investors Sue Maui Yacht Owner For More Than $2M After Honolua Bay Grounding. In a lawsuit filed Monday, attorneys for Kevin and Kimberly Albert of New Mexico, who provided the financing for the Nakoa, accused Jim Jones and his wife of taking the yacht on a personal trip to Honolua Bay without permission, which they said violated their sales agreement.  Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Nonprofits working to find medical respite for homeless cancer patients on Maui. One of the challenges is at the intersection of cancer and homelessness: finding a safe environment for patients to undergo treatment. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Kawakami proposes budget to address Kauaʻi infrastructure, development. With soaring revenues,  Mayor Derek Kawakami continues his promise to invest in infrastructure and development, while opting to pay off debts and decrease some residential taxes in the upcoming fiscal year budget. Hawaii Public Radio. Garden Island.  Kauai Now.  KITV4.

Probation sought for ex-U.S. worker in $35,000 theft case. Probation should be the sentence for a former U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife employee who pleaded guilty to theft of government money and property in connection with $35,000 in personal purchases charged to a government credit card over a four-year period, his attorney argued. Star-Advertiser.