Hawaii Business Magazine

Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters. “Fewer candidates filed for election in Hawaii this year than in the past 10 years.”

Views expressed in this Hawaii State News update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 05 June 2024, 1937 UTC.

Content and Source: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQVwwvDWCnjXMWMDkGJCSDltNvc/Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters.

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsdigestonline.com).

Locally Owned, Locally Committed Since 1955

06.05.2024

TOP STORIES

Fewer candidates filed for election in Hawai‘i this year than in the past 10 years
Dozens of incumbent lawmakers face no challenger. The most significant race in Hawaii’s Aug. 10 primary may well influence who is the next speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives — and thus directly impact the policies and laws of the entire state. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Oil industry asks Supreme Court to block climate change lawsuits from Hawai‘i and other states
Oil and gas companies are asking the Supreme Court to block dozens of high-powered lawsuits from Hawaii to Massachusetts seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in costs related to climate change. Los Angeles Times.

State insurance chief doesn’t see carrier exit
Hawaii has been the subject of some scary national headlines lately regarding property insurance, but the state insurance commissioner Tuesday expressed a less calamitous view of the industry affecting homeowners. Star-Advertiser.

A ‘hard market’ is battering condo owners
A confluence of events is causing the hard market, said Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito. And the resulting spike in premiums — primarily for hurricane insurance for condominium associations — is sending shocks to homeowners across Hawaii, Ito said. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i launches wildfire, drought alert campaign
The summer months ahead are shaping up to be hot and dry, with the same level of wildfire risks as 2023, according to experts Tuesday at the launch of the Wildfire and Drought Lookout campaign. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

State works to spend millions of dollars to address opioid addiction
Hawaiʻi can address substance abuse with $33 million from opioid manufacturer settlements — and that number is expected to continue to grow. However, managing and spending the funds has been a work in progress. Hawaii Public Radio.

Among this year’s REPI Challenge projects is $1.3 million being spent by the Defense Department to help restore 3,300 acres of remnant native forest and pasturelands on Maunakea. | Photo: Aaron Yoshino

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
U.S. military works with local partners to protect Hawai‘i’s natural environment
In 2024, nearly $10 million in defense spending is going to habitat preservation, reforestation, watershed protection, and flood and wildfire mitigation… read more.

OʻAHU

Air Force has ‘change of heart’ on plan to part with training site riddled with old munitions.
Citing “changes in operational requirements,” the Air Force says it now plans to keep a 138-acre training site at Bellows Air Force Station that it had long planned to part with. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Council is poised to adopt $4 billion-plus budget
The Honolulu City Council today is expected to review for adoption the city’s proposed $3.63 billion executive operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Star-Advertiser.

Blangiardi calls for multi-year contract for Honolulu rail CEO
Mayor Rick Blangiardi today told officials who oversee the city’s rail project to offer a multi-year contract to Lori Kahikina — its CEO and executive director — and fully cooperate with an investigation into any alleged “bullying and harassment” of Kahikina by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board of directors. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City Council proposes Kailua land sale for Hawaiian homelands
Hawaiian homelands lots may be offered for the first time in Kailua under a proposal introduced at the Honolulu City Council on Tuesday. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Man awarded $12.5M from city ordered held without bail in federal gun, drug case
The 38-year-old man who settled with the city for $12.5 million following injuries he suffered in a 2021 police pursuit was ordered held without bail today on federal charges that he used a ghost gun while selling methamphetamine in Waianae. Star-Advertiser.

SPONSORED

Healthcare Champions 2024: HMSA

“Our job is to provide the best support we possibly can and partner with the provider community so we can improve care and outcomes for their patients and members.”…. read more.

HAWAIʻI ISLAND

COVID cases creep up on the Big Island
Hawaii Island hospitals are reporting a slight increase in COVID-19 activity similar to rising rates throughout the state. Tribune-Herald.

Recent Kilauea eruptions could indicate new phase of activity
Ken Hon, scientist in charge at HVO, said Kilauea’s recent behavior seems to potentially indicate a new phase of volcanic activity, one characterized by a series of “pulses” of activity instead of sustained events over longer periods of time. Tribune-Herald.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Making Rum from Sugar Cane in Hale‘iwa
Kō Hana Distillery grows 34 varieties of sugar cane, which goes “straight from farm to bottle.” Kō Hana’s farm in Hale‘iwa has grown from one-quarter of an acre 10 years ago to over 350 acres today... read more.

MAUI COUNTY

Maui court upholds governor’s Emergency Proclamation on affordable housing
Second Circuit Court Judge Peter T. Cahill issued judgment in favor of Gov. Josh Green, M.D., and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, in a lawsuit that sought to, among other things, invalidate the governor’s emergency proclamation on affordable housing. Maui Now.

KAUAʻI

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative continues to lead Hawai‘i in renewable generation
For the fifth straight year, Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative leads the state of Hawaiʻi in renewable generation, having achieved 57.9% renewable for 2023. This puts KIUC well ahead of the state of Hawaiʻi requirement of 40% by 2030. Kauai Now.

Visitor count drops, spending climbs on Kaua‘i in April
A steep drop in the number of visitors to the island of Kaua‘i in April was of no consequence on the spending front, as tourists continued to plow piles of cash into the local economy. Garden Island.

MAY ISSUE