HART requests $1 billion appropriation from state

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has petitioned the state Department of Budget and Finance to appropriate that sizable sum for the agency’s next two budget cycles. The $1 billion would come from the mass transit special fund, created under a 2017 state law known as Act 1.

Star-Advertiser. 

Insurance companies are still trying to block the $4 billion Maui fire settlement

Insurance companies hoping to recoup billions of dollars they’ve already paid in claims to Maui fire victims are asking a federal judge to get in the middle of a legal squabble that has been playing out in state court.

Civil Beat. 

Hawai‘i’s tourism goals unlikely to keep up with inflation

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority board on Thursday approved a goal for Hawai‘i Tourism USA, the global marketing team responsible for driving travel demand to Hawai‘i from its core U.S. market, to grow visitor spending by just 1.4%.

Star-Advertiser. 

UH Foundation raises over $115M for students, programs, research

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation raised $115.2 million in fiscal year 2024, exceeding its $100 million annual goal by 15%, marking the fourth consecutive year of surpassing the $100 million milestone.

Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. 

Hawai‘i receives $12M federal grant to establish health care reform

Hawai‘i has been gifted a $12 million grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to tackle health care reform over the next decade. Hawai‘i is one of only six states chosen to participate in this program, making it a rare opportunity.

Hawai‘i Public Radio. 

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu voters to decide whether lifeguards need oversight commission

Whether to create a volunteer commission that would oversee the Department of Ocean Safety and have the power to appoint and remote its chief will be up to voters in November. The commission would be analogous to those that oversee the city’s police and fire departments.

Civil Beat.

Could a vacant home tax end the housing crisis?

That means, in addition to paying Hawai‘i real property taxes annually, anyone with a home that is vacant six months out of the year, would have to pay taxes on 1% of its assessed value the first year, 2% the next year and 3% after that.

KHON2. 

Catholic church sells land to senior living complex

The nonprofit operator of the Kāhala Nui senior living complex is buying the land under the project built in 2005 on a parcel leased from the Roman Catholic Church of Hawai‘i.

Star-Advertiser. 

Kapi‘olani nurses set to return to work Sunday morning

With a new contract in place, union nurses are scheduled to return to work Sunday at the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

Star-Advertiser.

Tensions rising after ten days of a workers strike at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

Striking workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village aren’t happy that after ten days of striking, they’re still not any closer to getting a new contract, or even an offer to return to the bargaining table. Also unhappy are guests, some surfers and neighbors around the resort.

Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Homeless kauhale units still without power, city says

Over the summer, the ‘A‘ala Respite facility was set up as part of a joint effort between the city and state to provide shelter and medical care for vulnerable, medically fragile people who’ve experienced long-term homelessness on O‘ahu.

Star-Advertiser.

Increased Hawai‘i park surveillance without public approval

A total of 23 surveillance cameras are already rolling in Ala Moana Regional Park. City officials plan to more than double that number, saying that the cameras are always recording, but footage is only reviewed by authorities after a crime is reported. Home security experts said that is not unusual.

KHON2. 

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

OHA grant supports Hale Mua Cultural Group efforts in Waipi‘o Valley

The $145,000 grant will assist the ‘Ai Me Ka I‘a Waipi‘o: Perpetuating ʻOhana Connection to Loʻi Kalo and Loko Wai Program. A program reinforcing cultural practices and freshwater fishpond preservation in Waipi‘o Valley is getting support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Big Island Video News. 

Big Island Invasive Species Committee to provide public update about coconut rhinoceros beetle

The Big Island Invasive Species Committee wants to make sure the public is armed with as much information as possible to make sure the damaging insect can’t make a foothold on the island. So it is hosting a public update about the invasive beetle from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Mala Ikena Room at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

Big Island Now. 

Maui Headlines

Opening of residential areas off Lahainaluna Road set for today

With residential debris removal 100 percent complete, opening of residential areas off Lahainaluna Road is set for Friday, Oct. 4, at 6 a.m. This is Phase 4 of the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) zone reopening plan and marks one of the final large residential zones to be reopened.

Maui News. Maui Now. 

Traffic Alert: Caravans to carry over 100 modular homes for Maui wildfire survivors

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is alerting drivers of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are being transported from Kahului to Lahaina starting on Friday.

Hawaii News Now. 

Timeline shows Maui Electric inspection missed damage before power started fire

MPD commanders and the federal ATF did say that the fire was caused when damaged electric lines were re-energized. But the detailed timeline shows a key inspection failed to find the damaged equipment – and led to a decision to throw the switches that sparks the flames.

Hawaii News Now. 

Kaua‘i Headlines

Disciplinary proceedings being initiated for Kaua‘i police chief who left gun in bathroom

The Kaua‘i Police Commission is considering disciplinary measures for Police Chief Todd Raybuck after he left his gun unattended in a bathroom earlier this year.

Kaua‘i Now. 

‘It needs to get better’ | Calls continue for change to search and rescue operations on Kaua‘i

Nearly two months after a Kaua‘i man was found dead in Wailua, calls are growing for change to the way official search and rescue efforts are conducted.

KITV4. 

Kapa‘a transfer station to be closed nearly 1 year beginning in early November

The renovations are part of the county’s islandwide Refuse Transfer Station Improvements project. The Kapa‘a transfer station is scheduled to close Nov. 2 and remain shuttered through Aug. 2, 2025.

Kaua‘i Now.