Hawaiian Airlines begins merger-related layoffs

Hawaiian Airlines plans to eliminate 73 people from its 1,400 noncontract workforce in Hawai‘i and on the mainland in the wake of its recent merger with Alaska Air Group Inc.  Layoffs of Hawaiian Airlines employees include 57 people in Hawai‘i and another 16 from the mainland.

Star-Advertiser. 

Lien, foreclosure threats add anxiety over insurance-driven condo fees

Soaring condominium fees due to insurance cost hikes are putting owners at risk of foreclosure, and trapping others in properties they can’t sell, according to residents struggling to keep up. The governor’s office points to a second emergency order this month that among other things suspended certain laws in order to allow an industry association and a state agency to issue master policies to condo associations.

KHON2. 

Most Hawai‘i schools have gardens — but few kids can eat what they grow

A state program that helped schools meet food safety standards ended during the pandemic and it can be daunting for campuses to tackle the requirements on their own.

Civil Beat. 

Hawai‘i inmate dies in an Arizona prison

A man serving a 10-year robbery sentence apparently hanged himself Monday in his cell at the privately run Saguaro Correctional Center in Eroy, Arizona, where some 1,000 Hawai‘i prisoners remain because there is no room in local facilities. Four Hawai‘i inmates being held in Arizona have died this year.

Civil Beat. 

O‘ahu Headlines

O‘ahu’s next landfill: City weighs sites as waste dilemma looms

The search for a new landfill site on O‘ahu is moving forward, but the top sites selected so far would require legislative action. The Department of Environmental Services has narrowed down the potential sites for O‘ahu’s next landfill, but half the sites are in locations that require modifications to Act 73, which is a state law that sets specific restrictions to where landfills can be built.

KHON2. 

State: Drag-racing event on farmland violated license-holder’s agreement

The Agribusiness Development Corp. has issued a violation notice to one of its license-holders after he claimed an unapproved drag-racing event on state farmland was a way of tilling the soil.

Civil Beat. KHON2. 

Union to provide support for Hilton Hawaiian Village workers as strike continues

It’s been a month since 1,800 hotel workers walked off the job at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Unite Here! Local 5 said it will provide support for struggling workers on strike through its hardship fund.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio. 

On your ballot: Honolulu City Charter amendments explained

If you are voting in the City and County of Honolulu, your ballot has four questions related to proposed amendments to the Honolulu City Charter.

Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

New 99-unit affordable rental complex dedicated in Kona

Kauhale I Ke Kula Uka features 99 units, including 58 3-bedroom units and 41 2-bedroom units, for households earning up to 60% of area median income (AMI), in addition to a manager’s unit. For reference, a household of four in 2024 could earn up to $66,480 per year.

Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Iconic bridge in Hilo park to be rebuilt

One of the most recognizable structures in Lili‘uokalani Gardens, the vermilion wooden bridge pavilion, will undergo a complete rebuild because of extensive termite damage.

Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Volcano history: East Rift Zone of Kīlauea was very active in the 1960s

The recent eruption at Nāpau Crater was the first on Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone in 6 years. We often remember the Pu‘u‘ō‘ō and Maunaulu eruptions when thinking about the middle East Rift Zone, but many lesser-known eruptions occurred on the rift zone in the past 200 years, including 11 during the 1960s.

Big Island Now. 

Maui Headlines

Rolling lottery planned for healthcare professionals at transitional housing development in Kahului

Maui Health Foundation’s Housing for Healthcare initiative is accepting interest from healthcare professionals for 31 transitional housing units in Kahului, including 16 brand new, 4-bedroom, single-family homes, and 15 accessory dwelling units (‘ohana units).

Maui Now. 

Maui County trying to collect millions in overdue visitor lodging taxes

Hundreds of property owners who have failed to pay Maui County the 3% transient accommodations tax for visitor lodgings have been receiving letters saying they need to pay up, and fast.

Maui Now.

South Maui community meeting centers around development concerns

Several South Maui residents came together Wednesday night at the ProArts Theater in Kīhei to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from road development and water management to affordable housing and controversial luxury home developments in the area.

Maui News. 

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kauaʻi County passes resolutions following public beach access complaints

Although all beaches in Hawai‘i are generally open to the public by law, there have been complaints on Kauaʻi about a declining number of public access routes to the shoreline, including to the popular and family-friendly ʻAnini Beach.

Kaua‘i Now. 

Ancestral remains conflict means trouble for Hawai‘i cesspool owners.

A stop work order has been placed on a septic installation project in Hanalei while the State Historic Preservation Division investigates the finding of iwi kūpuna on the property.

Civil Beat. Maui Now. Kaua‘i Now.