Hawaii Business Magazine

Legislation to give counties authority to regulate and phase out short-term vacation rentals passes. Tribune-Herald.

Legislature passes bill to exempt certain medical services from General Excise Tax. Maui Now.

Coffee labeling standards bill gets final approval from Legislature. Kauai Now.

A proposal making the “Shaka” Hawaiʻi’s official state gesture received final approval. KHON2.

Several energy bills failed to pass this Legislative session, puzzling proponents. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui County sues cell phone carriers for Lahaina Fire outages
Maui County filed a lawsuit against four telecommunications giants Wednesday alleging that the companies failed to notify 911 dispatchers about a cell phone service blackout that hampered the government’s wildfire response in Lahaina’s hardest-hit neighborhoods last year. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.  Maui Now.  KHON2.

Union hotel workers rally to kick-start bargaining
More than 1,500 Unite Here Local 5 union members Rallied Wednesday as they prepare for the possibility of widespread labor disputes with 17 Hawaiʻi hotel contracts covering over 7,000 hotel workers over three islands set to expire at the end of next month. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Dept. of attorney general releases annual firearm registration statistics
Statewide, a total of 23,528 personal/private firearm permit applications were processed during 2023, marking a 7.5% increase from 21,881 applications processed in 2022. Kauai Now.

Volunteer firefighters are big on the mainland. Not so much in Hawaiʻi
The ability of fire departments to muster extra help during major wildfires is a critical issue for the state as it grapples with how to prevent another disaster like Lahaina.  Civil Beat.

Kūpuna lost nearly $28M to fraud in 2023, FBI reports
Seniors in Hawaiʻi over 60 years of age lost nearly $28 million last year to fraud schemes targeting older Americans’ money or cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Star-Advertiser.

State investigating amid reports cruise ship sailed too close to Kauaʻi’s Nā Pali Coast
Kauaʻi community advocates said the ship appeared to be in very shallow water and about 1,000 feet offshore. Hawaii News Now.

DOH takes ‘unusual step’ to reject Navy’s Red Hill groundwater sampling plan
The Hawaiʻi Department of Health has ordered a modified version to be implemented instead. The modified program includes additional conditions to support the Navy’s request to reduce the amount of water being discharged into the Hālawa Stream from 4.5 million gallons to 1.8 million gallons a day. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ocean safety lifeguards want their own dept., but don’t want mayor to appoint leader
Lifeguards told a Honolulu City Council committee that they want a commission to pick the leader for a new department – and that’s something that has to go before voters. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Red light cameras at intersections could soon also enforce speeding
For the first time since 2002, speed limits on Oʻahu could soon be enforced by automated cameras — thanks to a bill easily approved by both House and Senate on Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiian monk seal Kaiwi gives birth at Kaimana Beach again
This is the third time Kaiwi has given birth at the popular beach in Waikīkī, and federal, state and county agencies are urging the public to maintain a distance from mom and pup as they nurse along the shoreline. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Get ready to gain exclusive insights into the dynamic world of AI law with Mike Trinh, Associate General Counsel at OpenAI. Join us as Mike navigates through the complexities of AI’s impact on our organizations and daily lives, offering a unique perspective from his extensive legal background. Register today!

Council bill could change make-up of planning commissions
A county bill under consideration by a council committee over the last two weeks would require that the Windward and Leeward planning commissions include at least one member with experience or expertise in Native Hawaiian traditions, customary practices, land usage and law. Tribune-Herald.

Hilo woman cited for feeding cats in park where nēnē gosling was found dead
Doreen Torres, 66, was issued two citations for violating state endangered and threatened species laws, which prohibit the feeding of protected wildlife, since nēnē may eat the cat food. Big Island Now.

North Kona water restriction downgraded after well repair
The Hualālai Deepwell has been repaired and returned to service, which means certain Kona customers are back to a voluntary 10% Water Conservation Notice. Big Island Video News.

Permitting process to harvest Kapāpala koa trees for canoes gets approval
More than 30 years ago, the state set aside about 1,200 acres on the southeastern slopes of Mauna Loa to serve as a sustainable source of koa for constructing canoes. Now, dozens of these koa trees are ready for harvest. Hawaii Public Radio.
Explore the forest in video: Hawaii Business Magazine

United Way approves $150K in emergency funding to address unmet food needs
Maui United Way has stepped in to provide emergency stop-gap funding to a hui of organizations led by Common Ground Collective (CGC) dedicated to feeding vulnerable fire-impacted families on Maui’s West Side while also providing a boost to local farmers. Maui Now.

Air Force offers first interview on proposal to build up to 7 telescopes on Haleakalā
As a plan to build new telescopes on Haleakalā faces mounting opposition, the Department of the Air Force on Wednesday offered its first interview to discuss the controversial proposal. KITV4.

New Kaiser Permanente Lahaina Clinic marks official opening with Ho‘ola
Kaiser Permanente physicians, nurses, staff, Maui community partners stakeholders, and local dignitaries gathered on the grounds of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort to celebrate the new 5,200-square-foot Lahaina Clinic.  Maui News.

New North Shore school getting closer to opening
The school purchased a permanent site in Kīlauea last year, and is currently is in the initial phase of its campus development. Garden Island.

Biodiesel sunflowers coming to Kaumakani
The project is a multi-year agreement between Pacific Biodiesel and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory that will demonstrate renewable biofuel produced in Hawai‘i from multiple locally grown oilseed cover crops. Garden Island.