Off the News | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Off the news: Events commemorate Pearl Harbor attack

None — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A host of events are now underway to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, the historic assault by Japan that plunged America into World War II.

Off the news: Marathon a boon for hotels, bane for locals

None — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s an early Christmas for Oahu hotels as thousands of running enthusiasts stream into the islands, ready to carb load and take on the 2024 Honolulu Marathon. For locals, that means modified traffic patterns and road closures Sunday along the 26.2-mile coastal course that starts at Ala Moana Beach Park, loops through downtown, reaches out to Hawaii Kai and finishes at Kapiolani Park.

Off the news: Alameda sworn in as Hawaii County mayor

None — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A new mayor for Hawaii County was sworn in on Monday. Kimo Alameda, who defeated incumbent Mitch Roth on Nov. 5, took the oath of office in a ceremony at the Outrigger Kona Resort in Keauhou, and touted it as a reflection of his commitment to “geographic equity” — equal attention to matters on the island’s west side.

Off the news: Circumstances of Miske’s death unclear

None — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The mystery of crime boss Michael Miske Jr.’s death in prison must be resolved with transparency. Miske, 50, was found unresponsive Sunday in his cell at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu. Authorities have yet to determine cause of death: Suicide? Foul play? Health-related?

Off the news: Taiwan president’s Hawaii visit provokes China

None — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s two-day stopover in Hawaii wasn’t a diplomatic visit, but it still, predictably, provoked China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. China has deployed nearly 40 ships to the seas surrounding the island nation, leading to predictions that China will hold war games near the disputed territory soon.

Off the news: Search for Hannah Kobayashi nears end

None — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The search for missing Maui woman Hannah Kobayashi, 30, is winding down, with authorities saying she’s been spotted heading into Mexico, independently and apparently “fine.” No foul play is suspected, say Los Angeles police, who’ve been involved since Kobayashi disappeared from LAX on Nov. 8. Via sightings, it’s surmised that Kobayashi, essentially, wanted “to step away from modern connectivity.”

Off the news: House challenger contests razor-thin loss

None — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

These races don’t get much closer than this. After recounting, the state House District 39 contest ended with incumbent GOP Rep. Elijah Pierick edging out Democratic challenger Corey Rosenlee by just 11 votes.

Off the news: Ocean Safety rescues 15 on North Shore

None — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Waves up to 40 feet high hit the North Shore on Friday, leading lifeguards to rescue 15 and issue thousands of warnings. Three men were injured on the jagged rocks between Ke Iki Beach and Sharks Cove when they were hit by a massive set.

Off the news: Change is in the air as airlines compete

None — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Now that the first round of holiday travel is done, it might be smart to scout around before making plans. Change is in the offing, especially with the merger of Hawaiian and Alaska airlines.

Off the news: Landfill site selection slides to this month

None — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s not much of a surprise, but Honolulu didn’t name its next municipal landfill site by the end of November, when the city administration had sought to reveal its choice to replace the 35-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei. Expect an announcement in December, the mayor’s office says.

Off the news: Black Friday coming earlier and earlier

None — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Those days of old, when anxious gift-shoppers stormed the retail battlements for the best discounts on the actual “Black Friday” (that is, the day after Thanksgiving), are not what they once were. A listing of numerous Hawaii Black Friday deals showed some of them starting on a Friday, sure — but last Friday, Nov. 22.

Off the news: Be vigilant, protect Hawaii against bird flu

None — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii’s physical isolation from the avian flu protected island birds for some time, but that respite is over. The disease, which forced many mainland chicken farmers to destroy flocks and shrank egg stocks and drove up prices, now has begun to spread here.

Off the news: Home for holidays in Lahaina is special

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s surely a time of thanksgiving for households displaced by the 2023 Maui wildfires who’ve had new, albeit temporary, homes in Lahaina opened to them in time for the holidays. The first 24 homes to be provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were made available after a blessing ceremony Friday.

Off the news: Signatures prompt election challenge

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Large-scale legal challenges of election ballots have not happened here as they have in key swing states on the mainland. But the broad issue of mail-in ballots has come up for the second straight general election in a Maui County lawsuit.

Off the news: Better signage of dangers warranted

None — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The river that winds through two state parks in Hilo — Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots — is aptly named: “Wailuku,” which means “waters of destruction.” Twenty-seven people have drowned in the river over the past 29 years, due to conditions that can be deceivingly calm but change quickly.

Off the news: DHHL homesteaders return to land

None — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Homesteads for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands were originally intended to allow Hawaiians to live off the land, but DHHL hasn’t offered many agricultural lots in recent decades. That makes the award of 68 lots on Hawaii island semi-historic: it’s the largest ag-lot offering since the late ’80s.

Off the news: A bridge not too far, but still delayed

None — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Yes, if more work was needed to ensure the concrete was strong enough for people walking across the new Ala Moana Boulevard pedestrian bridge, then it must be done, regardless of the time lag. The $17.8 million bridge is meant to improve public access for the densely populated high-rises in Kakaako, where some tragic pedestrian deaths already have occurred.

Off the news: Time for Kauai to get new police chief

None — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Last week, the Kauai Police Commission suspended Kauai Police Department Chief Todd Raybuck for three days for leaving his department-issued handgun in an employee restroom in March — but found that evidence “does not support” complaints of “retaliation” filed in April by two KPD officers who found the weapon.

Off the news: Last call to contribute to Capitol pool art

None — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii artist Solomon Enos is placing the final touches on his design for a mural that will line the floor of the “pool” surrounding the state Capitol building, which is being repaired and re-envisioned. Enos conceived of the mural as an opportunity for public participation, “to create something that will be a community heirloom,” so all are invited to leave their mark on the work, by adding a dot of paint to the mural design.

Off the news: Efficiency improvements made at DPP

None — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Let’s hope that the users’ experience at the city Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is matching the optimism shared Thursday by the agency’s director.

Off the news: Calls to participate in Red Hill Registry

None — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s taken some time to set up, considering the Navy’s Red Hill fuel-water contamination crisis occurred in 2021, but at least a Red Hill Registry is now taking shape. Via virtual focus groups, held today through Tuesday, the new University of Hawaii initiative will collect feedback from three main types of participants:

Off the news: DHHL works on more answers for Kunia

None — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is looking to speed up its housing development by buying 211 acres in Kunia for 1,200 Hawaiian homestead residential lots. Rapid action would be possible because on an initial 500 lots, infrastructure is already in place. DHHL would reallocate $60 million from the $600 million appropriated in 2022 for housing development.

Off the news: Meadow Gold cuts workforce, facilities

None — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Meadow Gold Hawaii is making major changes to its operation — including a layoff for two “costume characters” who presumably portray mascot Lani Moo. The locally owned company, Hawaii’s last dairy processor, has announced it would close down “substantially all” of its warehousing and distribution, laying off nearly 100 employees, effective Jan. 15.

Off the news: HPD promotes officers, civilian employees

None — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Recruitment and retention of Honolulu police officers have been longstanding challenges, and problems persist.

Off the news: Maui reef protection nets $10M fed grant

None — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A new $10 million federal grant awarded to the state to save West Maui reefs, home to an array of unique coral species, reminds how very interconnected the land is to the sea.

Off the news: Surfing legends feature in LCC art exhibit

None — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Ho‘ikeakea Gallery at Leeward Community College is going big for surf season, with “The Swell is Coming: Ke Ho‘ea Nei Ka Nalu.” The exhibition features celebrated wave-whisperers who have enriched surf culture as artists, including Tom “Pohaku” Stone, Wayne Levin, Peter Shepard Cole, Elyse Butler and Mark Cunningham, and adds a splash of international talent.

Off the news: New affordable housing in Chinatown

None — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s always a reason for celebrating when any new affordable housing units are added to Oahu’s lagging inventory. Saturday’s blessing ceremony marking the completion of 40 units in Chinatown’s historic Hocking Building, rents starting at $731, was one such occasion.

Off the news: Noted Kaho‘olawe Nine member dies

None — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Stephen Kane‘a‘i Morse has died at age 78, leaving a changed Hawaii as his legacy. He was most well known as part of the “Kaho‘olawe Nine,” a group that made a 1976 small-boat run to Kahoolawe, protesting 35 years of bombing by the U.S. Navy. The effort eventually prevailed, and control of the island was transferred to the state in 2003.

Off the news: FEMA extends Maui monetary, housing aid

None — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has once again extended aid to Maui residents impacted by the August 2023 West Maui fire disaster. It granted Hawaii’s request to provide both monetary aid and Direct Temporary Housing Assistance for an additional year, through Feb. 10, 2026, extending the help period from 18 months to 32 months.

Off the news: $2M TOD grant to benefit Iwilei-Kapalama

None — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

In a promising boost to transit-oriented development (TOD) planning for the Iwilei-Kapalama area, the city has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, part of a 2024 competitive pilot program funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Off the news: Benioff gives $2.5M to Hawaii public schools

None — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Billionaire Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff has expressed his affection for Hawaii once again, this time with a welcome $2.5 million contribution to support Hawaii public school projects that are not funded by the state Department of Education (DOE), via the nonprofit DonorsChoose platform, used by teachers to request classroom materials or support for special projects.

Off the news: Bird flu found in Hawaii wastewater samples

None — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii had been the only state without H5 avian influenza in our midst, but that’s now changed with detection of the pathogen in Oahu wastewater samples. There are no reports of human or animal H5N1 cases in Hawaii, and the risk of bird flu to residents remains low, says the state Department of Health (DOH).

Off the news: Hotel worker union settlement expected

None — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A settlement is expected by week’s end on four-year contracts for more than 5,000 unionized Hawaii hotel workers in UNITE HERE Local 5 — about half of the union’s membership — who will gain a $10-an-hour pay increase.

Off the news: Veterans urged to give back to community

None — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Give back. That’s a welcome message for veterans and all members of our communities.

Off the news: McKinley plaque contextualizes annexation

None — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s an ongoing teachable moment: On Monday, a new plaque fronting the namesake statue at President William McKinley High School was unveiled, to address misrepresentation and provide important context of Hawaii’s annexation history.

Off the news: HECO eyes 60% reduction in wildfire risk

None — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaiian Electric reports it’s reducing wildfire risk from its operations: After spending $120 million this year, projected risk of its equipment starting a fire will drop by 60%. HECO plans to spend $300 million over the next three years to get closer to a lowered risk of 80%; to get all the way there will cost an estimated $1 billion.

Off the news: Chime in now on proposed bus fare hike

None — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Now’s the chance — “now” meaning today — to weigh in on the Honolulu Rate Commission’s proposed changes to bus/transit fares. They include a $10 and $5 increase in monthly pass rates for adults and youths, respectively, and a $110 boost for the adult annual pass. These would take effect July 1, 2025.

Off the news: Hawaii appoints first female House speaker

None — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

For the first time, legislators in the state House will be addressing their leader as “Madame Speaker,” after Kauai Rep. Nadine Nakamura became first woman to hold the top position. First elected to the House in 2016, Nakamura is speaker after Scott Saiki lost his seat in the primary election. Vice Speaker will be Linda Ichiyama.

Off the news: Republicans make headway in Legislature

None — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Republicans will take over three more seats in the state House and one in the Senate after victories on Tuesday, some in very close races — but only one close enough to trigger a recount. Incumbent Republican Rep. Elijah Pierick pulled off an apparent win against Democratic challenger Corey Rosenlee by just 20 votes in the District 39 race — enough of a margin to reverse earlier reports that Rosenlee had won.

Off the news: Pearl Harbor free for some on Veterans Day

None — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

In honor of Veterans Day, free admission to the Pearl Harbor historic sites is being offered on Monday to all veterans, as well as to active-duty military personnel and their dependents. Further, for all U.S. Marines and their dependents, it’s free admission throughout the holiday weekend, in honor of the Marines’ birthday. Be sure to bring valid military ID or documentation of service.