Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters

Hawai‘i Supreme Court rebukes state agencies in East Maui water case
The justices found the state’s factual arguments flimsy regarding water diversions affecting the ability to fight the August wildfires. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

7 measures become law, 25 pending governor’s action
As of Thursday the governor had signed into law six House bills — relating to elections, legislative agencies, suicide awareness and the designation of state snails and “kimchi day.” A seventh Senate bill relating to landownership had also been signed. Star-Advertiser.

Officials mistakenly locked this man in a psych ward, then argued he was not sane enough to sue
Joshua Spriestersbach sued the state after he was held in the Hawai‘i State Hospital for more than two years under the wrong name, only to face new questions about his sanity. Civil Beat.

O‘ahu’s 911 system goes down briefly
This came amid major 911 outages reported in several other states, including Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas and Las Vegas. The cause of the outage in Honolulu is not yet clear. Star-Advertiser.

Skyline average daily ridership even lower than last year
The Director of Transportation Services said things will turn around once the second segment opens but that isn’t until Spring 2025. KHON2.

‘Bleeding out’: HART board members express concern after key project leader quits
HART Board Chair Colleen Hanabusa criticized HART CEO Lori Kahikina after Nate Meddings, a key project director, abruptly resigned to move back to the continent, citing family reasons. Hawaii News Now.

Dillingham Airfield and nearby North Shore residents brace for looming water shutdown
The airfield is poised to get the reprieve it needs to stay open, but it still doesn’t have a new group ready to step up and manage the water system. Civil Beat.

Discovery of WWII-era bomb at Bellows highlights ongoing risk of unexploded ordnance
For almost two months, the base has been mostly off-limits to visitors as part of a massive effort to scour the 24-acre site in search of more hidden hazards.  Hawaii News Now.

In tearful testimony, woman describes day she believed alleged crime boss killed her boyfriend
On Thursday, 29-year-old Ashley Wong described the day in 2016 she believed Mike Miske had kidnapped and killed her boyfriend — Johnathan Fraser. Hawaii News Now.

Its residency programs are crucial for training Hawai‘i’s doctors and nurses, and persuading them to stay. Despite Hawai‘i’s overall shortage of doctors and nurses, Hilo Medical Center says it is nearly fully staffed thanks to its residency programs and other recruiting strategies… read more.

Help likely on the way in battle against spittlebugs
The two-lined spittlebug is an insect whose voracious appetite for key livestock grazing grasses has made the species a menace for ranchers on the Big Island since it was first discovered here in 2016. A House bill would allocate an unspecified amount of money to the state Department of Agriculture to mitigate, control and reduce the spittlebug’s population and recover lands damaged by the species. Tribune-Herald.

Text messages from ex-MEMA head point to lack of urgency during Lahaina firefight
A closer look at the Attorney General’s Office report reveals a concerning lack of urgency from the Maui County’s Emergency Management Agency at the height of the crisis.  Hawaii News Now.

Wailuku man dies after being tased by Maui police
An incident involving a Maui Police Department officer resulted in the use of a taser and the subsequent death of Televise Sau, 53, of Wailuku, according to department reports. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

Maui Strong Fund tops $190 million
The Hawai‘i Community Foundation on Thursday said its Maui Strong Fund has raised over $190 million from 250,000 donors across 76 countries — distributing almost $90 million to provide immediate and long-term support to Maui wildfire recovery efforts. Star-Advertiser.

MEO disburses Maui Relief TANF/HCF funds that would help 4,000 people in five months
More than 1,000 households and 4,000 individuals who were directly impacted by the wildfires have received housing, vehicle, utility, clothing and school supply assistance in the five months since the inception of the Maui fires relief program, according to Maui Economic Opportunity. Maui News.

Public invited to complete Kaua‘i Community Survey on Homelessness
The County of Kauaʻi Housing Agency is encouraging the public to complete the Kaua‘i Community Survey on Homelessness, as the agency begins the process to develop a Kaua‘i County Five Year Homelessness Strategic Plan. Kauai Now.