McKinley High School breaks ground on $24 million athletic complex Spectrum News Spectrum News Staff December 12, 2024 Original Article On Wednesday, McKinley High School broke ground on a $24 million athletic complex. What You Need To Know - The concrete and masonry block athletic facility will provide student-athletes with improved training facilities - While attending games, Tiger fans will enjoy over 2,400 bleacher seats, modern restrooms, a convenient ticket booth and a rooftop press box - Concrete bleachers extend the length of the building, with a tunnel at the center of the football field that will create a processional entry to the football field for players and the marching band - Under the bleachers, the building will include a boy’s PE locker room, a weight training room, and locker rooms for male and female athletes The project is designed by G70, constructed by Nan, Inc. and estimated to be completed by Sept. 2026, according to a news release. Hawaii State Department of Education administrators, legislators and supporters of Hawaii high school athletics attended the groundbreaking. Principal Ron Okamura thanked supporters including former state Reps. Scott Saiki and Scott Nishimoto, and Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, who represents the area, for working to improve McKinley High’s athletic facilities. Kumu Kuaʻanaʻai Lewis, a McKinley High teacher and Hawaiiana educator, blessed the project with an oli. “We hope this facility will inspire student-athletes to go for gold and bring Tiger Pride to their classmates and their ‘ohana,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement. “This stadium’s reach goes beyond McKinley. It will be a center of activity for the surrounding neighborhood to be a part of and enjoy.” A rendering of McKinley High's new athletic complex. (Rendering courtesy of HiDOE) The concrete and masonry block athletic facility will provide student-athletes with improved training facilities. While attending games, Tiger fans will enjoy over 2,400 bleacher seats, modern restrooms, a convenient ticket booth, and a rooftop press box. Concrete bleachers extend the length of the building, with a tunnel at the center of the football field that will create a processional entry to the football field for players and the marching band. Under the bleachers, the building will include a boy’s PE locker room, a weight training room, and locker rooms for male and female athletes. Also, the building will include coaches’ offices, storage, and an equipment room that will contain wiring to increase internet capacity for this and future campus buildings. “The McKinley community has been waiting a long time for this facility. It is uplifting to witness everyone’s hard work come to fruition today,” Okamura said. “We are looking forward to seeing how this new complex will enhance not only the sports program but also energize school spirit as well.”

Aloha, 2024! A recap of the top 10 Big Island news stories of the year West Hawaii Today John Burnett December 31, 2024 Original Article Tribune-Herald file photo From left, Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, Sen. Lorraine Inouye and Lynne Benioff take a photo together in April after the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the newly named Hilo Benioff Medical Center. From left, Mayor Mitch Roth, Rep. Mark Nakashima, East Hawaii Regional Board Chair Jerry Gray, Gov. Josh Green, philanthropist Marc Benioff, Hilo Benioff Medical Center CEO Dan Brinkman and Sen. Lorraine Inouye pose for a photo with o'o sticks after the groundbreaking ceremony to kick off a major expansion of the hospital. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Tribune-Herald file photo In this file photo, visitors walk through the Sea Mountain Resort in Punalu'u. As part of a proposed development, Black Sand Beach LLC wants to restore the resort and nearby golf course. A view of an encampment of homeless people in June near the corner of Ponahawai Street and Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) In this Tribune-Herald file photo from June 7, grass and brush is overgrown around the house that was mistakenly built on the wrong lot in Hawaiian Paradise Park. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September for a new affordable rental housing complex in Waikoloa Village. (Courtesy/image) Tribune-Herald file photo Grant Omura receives a bento from a volunteer as she hands them out of the Salvation Army Hilo Temple Corps' Malama 'Ohana Mobile Kitchen during an opening ceremony on Aug. 30 for the 25-cot shelter in Hilo. Former County Council member Emily Naeole speaks to a large crowd gathered outside the County Building on March 7 in Hilo. Hundreds of people, many who drove up from Ka'u, showed up for a meeting of the Windward Planning Commission regarding a permit for a proposed development in Punalu'u. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Tribune-Herald file photo Kawelle Silva-Kamei holds a sign to protest the proposed development plan for the Punalu‘u area during a Windward Planning Commission Meeting on March 7 in Hilo. Tribune-Herald file photo Mayoral candidate Kimo Alameda answers a question during a forum hosted by the Big Island Press Club on Sept. 21 at the Hilo Yacht Club. In this July photo, a temporary camp for homeless people set up by Hawaii County off of Ponahawai Street in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Kimo Alameda sends his signature "double shaka" during a sign waving event with his Hawaii County mayoral campaign supporters in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) With 2025 nearly here, it’s time to review an eventful 2024. Here are Hawaii Island’s the top 10 local stories of the year, as selected by the editorial staff of the Tribune-Herald. 1. Hilo hospital undergoes $100M expansion “It’s a new beginning for health care here on the island.” That observation was made April 10 by billionaire philanthropist Marc Benioff — chairman, CEO and co-founder of the software company Salesforce — during a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of Hilo Benioff Medical Center that will include a new 19-bed intensive care unit and 36 additional hospital beds. Benioff and his wife, Lynne, matched $50 million appropriated in 2023 by the state Legislature and released in March by Gov. Josh Green. The $100 million project is intended to help alleviate the bed shortage at Hawaii Island’s largest hospital, which was built in 1984 and where capacity has been outstripped by East Hawaii’s population growth the past four decades. In addition, a draft environmental assessment was released in November for a $60 million outpatient clinic to be built by HBMC on about nine acres of land in Keaau. The Benioffs pledged an additional $25 million for the Puna clinic, with Green pledging to work toward securing an additional $25 million from the Legislature for construction, expected to be completed by 2028. Planners anticipate the facility will serve more than 100 patients daily. 2. Affordable housing remains a hot topic According to County Council Chair Holeka Goro Inaba, the council will continue to overhaul Chapter 11 of the County Code, which addresses housing. A study presented in July of the effectiveness of Chapter 11 — which requires that rezoned housing projects include a certain amount of affordable units, and offers some ways to fulfill that requirement — found its provisions act contrary to their intended use, and it’s not feasible for affordable housing to be built in many of the island’s districts. Affordable housing projects are, however, moving forward. The 92-unit Hale Na Koa ‘O Hanakahi housing project is slated for completion in 2025, with affordable housing targeted toward Big Island seniors and priority given to veterans and their spouses. Once completed, all of the housing complex’s units will be available to residents making less than the Area Median Income. According to move-in qualifications posted online, 10 units will be available to those making 80% of the AMI, 31 to those making 60%, 38 to those making 50% and 12 to those making 30%. Ground was broken in September for Na Hale Makoa, an affordable workforce rental housing development in Waikoloa village. The project will feature 139 one-, two- and three-bedroom units serving households earning up to 140% of area median income, as well as one resident manager’s unit. Construction is expected to take a little over a year, and families are anticipated to begin moving into the units during the first quarter of 2026, according to the county. In addition, land has been acquired or donated with the goal of building affordable housing. Marc and Lynne Benioff in June donated 158 acres near Waimea to the nonprofit Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation for affordable housing at Ouli in Waimea. The land, adjacent to 282 acres the Benioffs donated in December 2023, brings the total land they’ve given for affordable housing to 440 acres. And the nonprofit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement announced in June the acquisition of 43.08 acres of land in Hilo to be designated for affordable housing, specifically for Native Hawaiians and other Hawaii families. The parcel, located in the Kaumana subdivision of Ponahawai, was purchased for an undisclosed sum from an anonymous landowner. 3. Lava recovery continues in lower Puna Recovery from Kilauea Volcano’s 2018 Lower East Rift Zone eruption continues. Construction began in June on a 3.64-mile section of Highway 137 in lower Puna, between the makai end of Pohoiki Road and the intersection of Highway 132 — also known as “Four Corners.” The price tag to rehabilitate the previously inundated country road is $17.8 million. The lion’s share, $13.35 million, will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while the county will kick in $4.45 million. The county remains embroiled in an eminent domain battle with Kapoho Land and Development Co. Ltd. over 0.94 acres of land the county said it needs to reopen Pohoiki Road. Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota on Aug. 15 issued an order putting Hawaii County — which offered KLDC $24,000 — in possession of the land. KLDC, which is the only eminent domain holdout, is challenging the order, arguing the county has violated state laws in its condemnation process. And the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has awarded a contract to dredge part or all of a newly formed beach so Pohoiki Boat Ramp can be reopened. This past month, DLNR announced it had awarded a $9.2 million contract for the dredging project to Goodfellow Bros., with work expected to begin in February 2025 and wrap in November 2025. 4. Ongoing efforts to regulate STVRs The County Council in 2024 continued its yearslong struggle to regulate short-term vacation rentals with no long-term resolution in sight. Bill 121 — under discussion for the better part of a year and amended four times — was shelved in November. After lengthy discussions about five new proposed amendments to Bill 121, Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball, who introduced the bill, asked her colleagues whether the council should continue to tweak the existing bill, or if it should be scrapped and replaced with a new bill that streamlines the now 30-page-long proposal. Another measure, Bill 123, passed the council and became law on its fifth draft. The bill changed the name of “ohana dwellings” to “accessory dwelling units” and increased the number of units allowed on a residential property to three, with one allowed to be used as a STVR. While the new ordinance increases density in residential neighborhoods, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled unanimously in September that state law doesn’t allow STVRs on agriculturally zoned land. 5. Jaggar Museum, HVO site demolished It’s been six-plus years since earthquakes associated with the 2018 Kilauea eruption damaged both Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum beyond repair. The historic museum, built in 1927, stood on Uekahuna bluff in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for nearly a century. It was razed along with two buildings used by HVO, the Okamura Building and geochemistry annex at Uekahuna, in May and June. The HVO Tower, the last building standing on the bluff, was demolished on July 26. The iconic tower, adjacent to the Jaggar Museum, provided scientists at HVO with a 360-degree vantage point for studying Kilauea and Mauna Loa until the 2018 eruption and summit collapse severely damaged all of the buildings at Uekahuna, on the edge of Kaluapele, Kilauea’s caldera. HVO’s scientists and technicians have been working in temporary digs in Hilo since. HVNP’s Visitor Center will be closed to the public in February for two years of renovations. Many functions once carried out at the Jaggar Museum will be performed at the HVNP Visitor Center, once it reopens. 6. Help for the island’s homeless The annual, federally mandated Point-In-Time count tallied 718 homeless individuals on the Big Island in 2024. That’s 28% fewer than the 1,003 counted in 2023. But the Point-In-Time is a mere snapshot of a day in the life of the unsheltered, and a casual tour of downtown Hilo and Kailua-Kona will confirm homelessness remains an issue. Two extreme incidents in downtown Hilo in January highlighted the problem. A 41-year-old homeless woman, Ashley Lum, gave birth on a sidewalk at the corner of Mamo and Keawe Streets and reportedly dragged the newborn by the umbilical cord. Fire Department medics cut the cord, sought medical attention for the baby, and transferred it to custody of Child Welfare Services. Lum, who has apparent mental health issues, was arrested for allegedly leaving the infant after the cord was severed, but was released without charges after being booked on suspicion of misdemeanor child abandonment. In the other case, a 34-year-old homeless man, Jimmy Carmichael, died at Mooheau Park Bus Terminal after being beaten. An autopsy turned up no serious skull or brain injuries as a result of the assault, but there was evidence of an “acute cardiac event” prior to his death, police said. Former Mayor Mitch Roth touted his administration’s efforts toward curbing homelessness, including $10 million in grants to organizations providing services to the homeless. The county also conducted sweeps of homeless camps, including in January at Mooheau Park and in February at Kona Aquatics Center. In addition, the county also set up at least two “Safe Spaces” homeless camps during the year — both dubbed “Mitchville” on social media. One was on Ponahawai Street next to the Salvation Army in downtown Hilo. After that camp was disbanded by the county, another was set up on Kuawa Street near the county’s Hoolulu Complex to house those who’d been at Ponahawai. It too has since been closed after most occupants found either homes or a longer-term shelter. And in August, the Salvation Army opened the Hilo Overnight Safe Space, a 25-bed outdoor tent at the Salvation Army’s Ponahawai facility. Homeless individuals seeking shelter are able to check into the Safe Space in the evenings and depart the next day. Through $1 million in state funding, and an additional $800,000 from the county, the facility should be able to operate for two years, said Sam LeMar, Salvation Army Hawaii County coordinator. He added he hopes to be able to expand the shelter into something potentially more permanent. LeMar said he believes the shelter could expand to accommodate 75 beds along with 10 parking stalls “so people can sleep in their cars safely.” 7. The county has a new top executive The Big Island has a new mayor. Kimo Alameda, the former CEO of Bay Clinic who was executive of the county’s Office of Aging under former mayors Harry Kim and the late Billy Kenoi, defeated incumbent Mitch Roth by almost 11% in November’s General Election. It was the first run for public office for Alameda, 55, who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and also was the former leader of the Fentanyl Task Force. The 60-year-old Roth had the larger campaign war chest, by more than $100,000, and had spent upwards of $75,000 more than his challenger. Alameda, however, had the backing of the two major public workers unions — the white-collar Hawaii Government Employees Association and the blue-collar United Public Workers. They endorsed the challenger in part because Roth wouldn’t authorize COVID-19 hazard pay for public workers during the pandemic, citing fiscal concerns. 8. Punaluu project proposed, opposed A currently stalled proposal by a foreign-born developer to build a 225-acre resort development on a 147-acre parcel adjacent to Punaluu Black Sands Beach Park has raised hackles in the Ka‘u community. Neighboring residents to the proposed Punaluu Village project turned out en masse in March before the Windward Planning Commission to protest the plans of developer Xiaoyuan “Eva” Liu and Black Sand Beach LLC to develop the $350 million project. Three groups of Ka‘u residents have been granted standing in a contested case against an application for a special use permit for the project. In particular, opponents have argued the development of Punaluu Village will have significant negative impacts on the area’s public water, fire suppression and wastewater systems, which they say are in disrepair. A 2020 report about the condition of Punaluu’s water infrastructure noted several leaks and inoperable equipment — notably, six of the 17 fire hydrants in the area were found to not work. Some of the opposition to the project stems from fears it will impact fragile ecosystems and endanger wildlife, such as endangered hawksbill sea turtles. The nearby black sand beach is one of the last nesting sites for the turtles in the state, said Maxx Philips, Hawaii director for the Center for Biological Diversity. However, project consultant Daryn Arai said most of the areas planned to be developed for the project are located away from sensitive areas — and that much of the development would restore the shuttered facilities of the former Sea Mountain Resort that was built in the area in the 1960s and ’70s. 9. DHHL’s huge plan for Keaukaha More than 1,300 acres of land at King’s Landing in Hilo could be developed for Hawaiian homesteads under a state plan. In June, a draft environmental assessment was published for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ “King’s Landing Kuleana Homestead Settlement Plan” — a proposal to take several DHHL-owned parcels near Keaukaha totalling 1,334 acres and allow them to be developed as homestead land. Under the proposal, a large tract of land — stretching from south of Nene Street in Keaukaha to Leleiwi and south along the Kapoho Coast Road — could be used as “kuleana homesteads,” an alternative form of land use that would allow DHHL beneficiaries to live on parcels with minimal development. According to the draft assessment, the land is largely unoccupied, with 24 Native Hawaiian residents known to be living or working on land in the area in compliance with a DHHL right of entry agreement. Under the plan, about 400 acres of the land — largely around the Kapoho Coast Road — would be set aside for kuleana lots, with another 332 acres dedicated toward community agricultural use. Much of the coastal acreage and other scattered parcels would be free for community use, and the last 240 acres would be kept as conservation land. Settlement of the area would take place in a phased process, with the first phase involving up to 38 lots between 3.5 and 15 acres in size along either side of the Kapoho Coast Road. Phase 2 would include up to 35 lots between 1 and 3 acres in size mauka of Kapoho Coast Road. Phases 3 and 4 would establish the conservation, agricultural and community lands. Because kuleana leases require residence on the land, beneficiaries would be living largely off-grid and building their own homes. Homesteads would still be subject to all relevant county and state health and safety codes, although part of the kuleana model allows for some level of grant support for lessees building their homes. 10. House lot snafu in HPP In perhaps the year’s strangest Big Island story, a local contractor for an Oahu-based developer mistakenly built a house on a Hawaiian Paradise Park lot owned by a Northern California woman. Keaau Development Partnership contracted PJ’s Construction to build about a dozen houses on lots the developer owns in the Puna subdivision. PJ’s, however, erroneously built a three-bedroom house on a lot owned by Annaleine “Anne” Reynolds, who bought the one-acre lot in a 2018 tax auction for $22,000. The home was supposed to be built on an adjacent lot owned by KDP, but no survey was done prior to construction. KDP sued both Reynolds and PJ’s, seeking to recoup more than $307,000 it paid to PJ’s and its subcontractors, plus another $300,000 in lost profits, interest, attorneys’ fees and damages. Reynolds declined KDP’s settlement offer of the adjacent lot in a land swap, and KDP rejected her counter offer of a beachfront lot in return for her property. Now-retired Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert Kim granted Reynolds’ request for PJ’s to pay another contractor to demolish the house, and Kona Circuit Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya has selected a proposal by a Hilo contractor to do so. Both KDP and PJ’s are appealing the demolition order in the Intermediate Court of Appeals while Reynolds’ attorney has filed a motion stating the ICA doesn’t have jurisdiction since the demolition order isn’t a final judgment on the lawsuit. Email John Burnett at jburnett at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

A Revolving Door For Mentally Ill? Lawmakers Question Diversion Program Civil Beat Caitlin Thompson October 31, 2025 Original Article Lawmakers are expressing concern that a law meant to keep people with mental illness accused of minor crimes from languishing in jail is instead trapping some people in a revolving door at the Hawaiʻi State Hospital without meaningful treatment. In a letter sent earlier this month to state Department of Health Director Kenneth Fink, 11 senators cited Civil Beat’s reporting on the law and asked the department for detailed information on how Act 26 has been implemented and whether it is actually helping people get lasting help. They also ask the department to consider whether changes to the law are needed to prevent people from being readmitted over and over again. Investigation : Hawaiʻi Law Is Diverting Mentally Ill From Jail — But Not Getting Them Help The senators, who include Health and Human Services Chair Joy San Buenaventura and Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads, expressed support for programs meant to improve outcomes for people with mental illness in the criminal justice system, but questioned whether this five-year-old law has been effective. “One example from the article is a 61-year old man described as homeless who had been sent to the state hospital for a determination of his mental fitness a staggering twenty-two times in a five-year period,” the letter says. Introduced in 2020, Act 26 started out as part of a broader effort to reform the way jails had become de facto mental health treatment centers and to get mentally ill residents accused of petty crimes into community treatment programs. By the time it passed, however, the measure focused primarily on the process for determining whether people with mental illness arrested for low-level crimes have the mental capacity to stand trial. In the past, the process dragged on so long that people were held at the state hospital for longer than the maximum sentence for the charges they faced, which for a petty misdemeanor, is 30 days. Act 26 shortened this timeline from three months to seven days, although lawmakers increased that to 14 days last year. If people facing non-violent petty misdemeanor charges can’t be deemed fit to stand trial within two weeks, they are discharged from the hospital and their case is dropped. More than 150 people were readmitted to the state hospital on petty misdemeanor charges between July 2024 and June 2025, with some admitted half a dozen or more times. About half of those readmitted were back in the hospital within four months, Civil Beat found. In the letter, lawmakers asked the health department to provide detailed information about nearly a dozen areas of concern, including whether patients could be held in less restrictive facilities, what happens when someone is discharged from the state hospital after being found mentally unfit and whether the hospital takes steps to ensure they continue to receive medical care once they leave. Lawmakers also asked health officials to explain whether the state hospital can obtain a court or administrative order for treatment over a patient’s objections and provide data on the number of people who are evaluated for involuntary treatment programs that would enable the hospital to hold them longer. “If they’re not fit to proceed, the court cases drop. And that’s the end of it. And that’s why I think you have the revolving door, because these people are mentally ill, they go back out and do the same thing again, surprise, surprise, and then they come back,” Rhoads said. The Department of Health will respond to senators “as soon as possible,” department spokesman Adam LeFebvre said in an email. ‘It’s About Time We Started Looking At It Again’ Generally, Act 26 has had a positive impact, state hospital administrator Mark Linscott told lawmakers at a Health and Human Services Committee briefing in October. But he said patients cycling in and out of the hospital is a persistent challenge. “It’s about time we start looking at it again,” San Buenaventura said during the briefing. “The revolving door referred to by the Civil Beat article may continue unless hopefully we could have some solutions going forward.” The mandate to release people within 14 days has led to people being discharged without having received much treatment, according to experts at the state hospital and service providers working with people with mental illness. Many patients also struggle with addiction, and the short stays may not be enough to detox. In the letter sent to the health department director, lawmakers are asking whether the current timeline is sufficient to provide people with meaningful treatment. People leaving the hospital are often met with few resources and insufficient options for community-based treatment. It’s not just Act 26 that needs to be reexamined, San Buenaventura said. She wants to take a closer look at other factors, like whether the broader strategy of jail diversion for people with mental illness is working. “I don’t think that it’s Act 26 by itself that is causing this revolving door,” she said. It’s about “ensuring that there is stabilizing treatment that’s out in the community.” Lawmakers also want to know whether the health department is fully utilizing programs that would allow them to take a more forceful approach. The hospital can’t hold someone involuntarily without a court or administrative order if they are not deemed a danger to themselves or others, nor can doctors medicate a patient against their will. But there are initiatives like Assisted Community Treatment, which allows someone to obtain a court order to force a person who is refusing medication into treatment. The program is controversial because it involves people being medicated against their will. Proponents, however, say that it is key to interrupting the revolving door at the state hospital, and lawmakers want to know whether it’s a viable option that the state hospital uses. Even then, there’s the problem of bedspace and a lack of alternatives. Hawaiʻi is heavily reliant on its state hospital for patients with mental illness who are facing charges. “That, I think, is the next big problem: where we put people,” Rhoads said. The health department needs to expand other less acute options, “as opposed to funneling all these guys into the state hospital.”

Hawaii Leaders Wary After Federal Funding Pause Rescinded Spectrum Michael Tsai January 30, 2025 Original Article Some 48 hours after the Trump administration ordered a freeze on federal grants and loans, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget rescinded its directive on Wednesday, leaving both the administration and its dissenters here and around the country to declare victory at the same time. What You Need To Know On Monday, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a memo directing all federal agencies to pause financial assistance offered under their auspices so they could be reviewed for compliance with the administration’s new initiative to purge progressive programs supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion; LGBTQ+, environmental justice and other causes that do not align with the president’s priorities News of the intended pause was quickly met with a pair of lawsuits. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan later issued a stay in response to one of the suits just minutes before the OMB directive was to have taken effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday On Wednesday, OMB officially withdrew the directive without further explanation While the funding pause did not materialize, officials said the long-term threat to programs and services that do not meet Trump’s approval remains real On Monday, the OMB issued a memo directing all federal agencies to pause financial assistance offered under their auspices so they could be reviewed for compliance with the administration’s new initiative to purge progressive programs supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion, LGBTQ+, environmental justice and other causes that do not align with the president's priorities. A subsequent clarification noted that the pause would not affect core assistance programs, such as Social Security, Medicare or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. At a news briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pause was proof of the Trump administration being “good stewards of taxpayer dollars.” News of the intended pause was quickly met with a pair of lawsuits, one by the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance and the LGBTQ+ elders advocacy group SAGE and another by a coalition of 22 state attorneys general, including Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued a stay in response the first suit just minutes before the OMB directive was to have taken effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday, OMB officially withdrew the directive without further explanation. The administration contends that the issuance of the initial order achieved its greater purpose in making sure federal agencies were aware of their obligation to understand and adhere to hundreds of executive orders Trump issued in the first week of his return to the White House. And while many federal, state and local leaders remained chagrined at the widespread confusion wrought by the OMB directive, some viewed the action as a necessary shock to the system in line with Trump’s campaign promise to remake the federal government. “This is Donald Trump,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told The Associated Press. “He throws hand grenades in the middle of the room and then cleans it up afterwards. I just think the guy’s a genius.” Democrats and others opposed to Trump’s wide-net action celebrated OMB’s cancellation of the order, which some attributed to public outcry. “Yesterday, we all woke up to chaos, uncertainty, and confusion as the Trump administration freezes federal funding,” state Rep. Adrian Tam posted on his social media accounts. “This funding is critical to infrastructure, healthcare, education, and wildfire recovery. While I’m happy that the Trump Administration backed off, I want to remind you that he wouldn’t have backed off had it not been for our community leaders raising the alarm on how this funding will hurt us. Pressure works; pushing back when we see bad policies is essential. Thank you to everyone for uniting and voicing their concerns. Today is a win for Hawaii.” Initial news of the intended freeze drew a sharp rebuke from Hawaii's political leaders and prompted state agencies, under the direction of Gov. Josh Green, to mobilize quickly to assess the potential impact and draw alternative plans for maintaining critical programs and services. In a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, decried the freeze and the violation of the Constitution he said it represents. “The government shutdown that Donald Trump just ordered is illegal and unconstitutional,” Schatz said. “He is not a king and we do not live in a monarchy." Schatz said the freeze would result in “real pain” for many Americans. “If you’re a disaster survivor in North Carolina or Louisiana, or California or Texas or Florida or Maui, you don’t know what happens next,” he said. “If you’re a low-income family that relies on the Women, Infants, and Children Program to get healthy meals for your kids, if you live in a remote area like Waianae or Lanai in Hawaii and you go to a community health center to fill your prescriptions or to get a checkup, this freeze on funding means you don’t get help.” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda issued a joint statement Wednesday shortly after the order was temporarily blocked. “Eight days into his dictatorship, President Trump has mandated a federal funding freeze that will cost Hawaii hundreds of millions in federal support,” they wrote. “Even a ‘temporary’ freeze will create a lapse in funding for disaster relief efforts in Lahaina, as well as crucial programs like Medicaid, Head Start, nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, school lunch programs and many more. State Attorney General Anne Lopez, along with a coalition of 21 other attorneys general, filed suit to immediately stop enforcement of the OMB policy and preserve essential funding. “The impacts of this policy withholding federal funds have already been realized in our state," Lopez said. "Neither the president of the United States nor an acting federal budget official can unilaterally upend federal law and cause such mass uncertainty in the Hawaii and our sister states by withholding federal funds authorized by law. The Department of the Attorney General will stand up for the rule of law in this nation.” The coalition argued that jeopardizing state funds will put Americans in danger by depriving law enforcement of much-needed resources and interrupting support for U.S. Department of Justice initiatives to combat hate crimes and violence against women, stop drug interdiction, support community policing and provide services to victims of crimes. The AGs also noted that the OMB policy would halt essential disaster relief funds to places like California and North Carolina, where tens of thousands of residents are relying on FEMA grants to recover after devastating wildfires and floods. In a statement released after the District Court ruling but before the order was rescinded, Gov. Josh Green said the Trump administration’s effort to freeze federal funding “cannot stand.” “My administration is currently assessing the impact of this pause on essential state programs and services, including education, health care, social services and wildfire recovery,” Green said. “For those programs that are found to be impacted, the state of Hawaii will work to develop alternate plans to ensure that key services for local residents are continued.” Hawaii’s legislative leaders also spoke out against the freeze and expressed concern for those who rely on services and programs funded by federal grants and loans. “This latest directive from the federal level comes at a time when many communities are already facing hardships, and it threatens to disrupt the distribution of critical resources to individuals, businesses, and organizations that rely on federal financial assistance,” said Senate President Ronald Kouchi. “These programs — spanning health care, education, infrastructure, housing and more — are lifelines for our Hawaii residents as well as millions of Americans and the temporary suspension of these funds will only exacerbate challenges that are already straining our communities.” House Speaker Nadine Nakamura said legislators were closely monitoring the situation. “This freeze is deeply concerning as it could jeopardize critical services that Hawaii’s communities depend on, including education, healthcare, social services, wildfire recovery and essential federally funded programs,” she said. “Furthermore, it undermines the progress we have made in ensuring representation and support for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.” And while the funding pause did not materialize, officials said the long-term threat to programs and services that do not meet Trump’s approval remains real. In a news briefing after the OMB order was rescinded, Leavitt emphasized that while the freeze will not move ahead, federal agencies are still required to comply with Trump’s mandate to review all financial assistance programs to ensure that they follow his executive orders. In that regard, the state’s hurried efforts to assess the potential impact federal grant and loan cancellations would have on its myriad programs and services may have given it a head start in preparing for cuts yet to come. Green said his administration is assessing the impact the funding pause would have on essential state programs and services, including education, health care, social services and wildfire recovery and work to develop alternate plans for keeping key services available. State Comptroller Keith Regan confirmed that the Department of Accounting and General Services has several divisions or attached agencies that would be affected should it lose federal funding. “The main impact would be to our public arts initiatives in the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts,” he said. “Indirectly, it is possible the Archives may need to halt projects funded by its federal grants and our State Procurement Office’s Surplus Property Program may be affected by the pause in funding.” State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations director Jade Butay said his department is “deeply concerned” about potential impacts to its ability to deliver essential services. “A significant portion of our operations, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, job training and workplace safety through our Occupational Safety and Health division, is supported by federal funds,” Butay said. “Any disruption to these critical programs could affect workers, employers and communities statewide. We are actively monitoring the situation and are awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor to understand the full scope of the impacts and next steps. We remain committed to serving the people of Hawaii and ensuring the continuity of essential programs.” The Hawaii Department of Defense, which includes the Hawaii National Guard, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Office of Veterans’ Services and Civilian Military Programs, is heavily reliant on federal funding, receiving approximately $88 million for its annual operating budget; about $350 million to administer its Hazardous Mitigation Program Grant; and nearly $25 million for its Emergency Management Program Grant. The department further anticipates approximately $56 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement for Maui wildfire disaster response and recovery. It also receives federal grant funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program to coordinate its counter-narcotics efforts with federal, state and county law enforcement agencies. “While these federal programs are being reviewed by OMB, there’s no immediate impact to operate, retain qualified personnel, and continue to protect the citizens of the state of Hawaii,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, the state adjutant general. The Hawaii State Public Library System could also be significantly impacted by the freeze. HSPLA receives about $1.5 million in Library Services and Technology Act funding that enables it to provide access to library materials, technology to connect to the internet, and online databases. “The suspension of this funding will cause our communities to face limited access to information that supports their health, business, education and ability to connect to the world,” HSPLA reported on Tuesday. “Specifically, students will not have free access to test preparation and families will not have easy access to legal forms to support their needs.” HSPLS also is a recipient and partner for two digital equity projects, one that offers basic digital literacy classes statewide and another, funded via the Federal Broadband Equity Access Development program, that supports digital literacy navigators in all public libraries. Meanwhile, the Hawaii Department of Transportation is seeking clarification regarding potential impacts on obligated formula projects and discretionary funds. Likewise, the state Department of Law Enforcement reported that it is still seeking a final determination of the impacts from its federal partners. Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com .

New laws kick off 2025: Some aim to attract more nurses, doctors to Hawaii Hawaii Tribune Herald John Burnett January 7, 2025 Original Article A number of new laws took effect starting Jan. 1. At least four of those laws are related to medicine — with two intended to facilitate the licensing of physicians and nurses, which are in short supply in Hawaii. Act 112, from a bill introduced in 2023 by state Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, a Puna Democrat, makes Hawaii a part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. That affiliation will make it easier for licensed physicians coming to Hawaii from other states. The IMLC currently includes 40 states, including Hawaii, plus the District of Columbia and Guam, and three additional states have introduced legislation to join. “The interstate compact is one of the bills that (Hawaii Medical Service Association), Kaiser, and the military were all hoping would pass, because it will help them recruit more medical providers to Hawaii,” San Buenaventura told the Tribune-Herald while the Legislature was in session last year. “We also know there are doctors here in Hawaii that are retirees who would be more than willing to work part time, but don’t want to go through the effort of having to get re-licensed and re-credentialed.” The state estimates Hawaii has a shortage of 768 physicians statewide, a 21% deficit. Hawaii Island’s physician shortfall is estimated at 40%. Act 95, another new law, allows out-of-state licensed registered nurses and practical nurses who hold a multi-state license issued by another state, territory or country to apply for a temporary work permit simultaneously with an application for a license to practice in Hawaii. The act was one of 22 health care measures signed into law by Gov. Josh Green, a physician, on June 27 last year. Using federal Health Resources and Service Administration methodology, Hawaii this year is estimated to face a deficit of around 3,311 registered nurses alone, representing a 28% shortfall in the nursing workforce statewide. Big Island hospitals, including Hilo Benioff Medical Center, have turned to travel nurses to close the gap. Act 91 authorizes minors who are at least 14 years old to consent to medical care and services for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and family planning services, including the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It requires confidentiality policies and practices for insurers and health care providers. The law, part of governor’s legislative package introduced by Sen. President Ron Kouchi, closes what’s been described as a critical gap in minor access to medical services related to STIs, including HIV. For decades, Hawaii law has permitted minors aged 14 to 17 to independently consent to medical care for the treatment of STIs but not for prevention. Act 91 will permit minors 14 to 17 who are at risk for exposure to STIs to consent to medical care for the prevention of STIs. There is now medication that can be taken by an individual at risk for HIV in order to prevent infection. On Facebook, the state Department of Health said it “encourages minors to involve a parent or guardian in seeking medical care to prevent STIs.” “However, often minors who could benefit from this medical care do not involve parents or guardians out of fear of disclosing their sexual behavior or sexual orientation,” the post continues. “Act 91 will allow more teens to access medical care to help keep them safe.” And Act 104 allows licensed pharmacists to administer vaccines to persons 3 years of age or older without a prescription from a doctor, if certain requirements are met. Also taking effect on New Year’s Day are laws that: establishes kalo, the Hawaiian word for taro, as the state plant; expands the definition of “beer” to include alcoholic seltzers; requires lobbyists’ expenditures statements to include the identity of the legislative or administrative action that was commented on, supported by, or opposed by the person filing the statement; requires state legislators to include the names of lobbyists with whom the legislator has a relationship; requires public meeting notices to inform testifiers how to provide remote oral testimony allowing the testifier, upon request, to be visible to board members and other meeting participants; establishes judicial procedures to prevent and remedy abusive litigation; requires motion picture and other media productions to provide evidence of reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable requirements to qualify for the income tax credit; and expands the transient accommodations tax law to include certain shelters and vehicles with sleeping accommodations.

Who Should Be Trusted To Manage Remains Of Hawaiian Royals? Civil Beat Blaze Lovell December 8, 2024 Original Article Management of Mauna ʻAla, the burial place for many of Hawaiʻi’s monarchs, is at a crossroads. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources picked a new curator for the burial grounds in Nuʻuanu without consulting with key Native Hawaiian organizations or the family that has cared for the remains for the last 200 hundred years. That set off a fierce debate that will spill out into the Legislature next year. Lawmakers will propose that the state lands department step aside and transfer management of the grounds to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Meanwhile, descendants of the customary caretakers — who say the lands department broke with decades of tradition in picking the new curator — are trying to build support to hand over management to a private nonprofit. Burials in Hawaiian culture — and those of royal lineages in particular — are considered highly sacred. The debate over which entity gets to manage Mauna ʻAla is intertwined with who should be responsible for caring for those remains. Amid the debate, one thing has become clear: keeping Mauna ʻAla under the state lands department is unpopular to many involved. “I don’t think it being housed in DLNR is a good fit,” Sen. Tim Richards, who chairs the Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said. Proposals to transfer management authority come with many unanswered questions, including who pays for the upkeep and what would happen to the current curator, Doni Chong. Kai Kahele, newly elected to chair the board of trustees of OHA, said his agency, established to represent the interests of Hawaiians, is the right pick to oversee the burial grounds. “We have the talent here to do it, we just have to work with the administration to bring that to fruition,” Kahele said. Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who chairs the Senate Water and Land Committee, said she plans to introduce a bill transferring management of the grounds to OHA. Inouye is worried that keeping Mauna ʻAla under the land department, whose director is a political appointee of the governor, means that policies could change with each new administration every four years. “If we leave it with OHA, that would be continuous,” Inouye said. While Inouye supports transferring management authority, she’s not sure that lawmakers would approve of giving OHA additional funds for Mauna ʻAla. Inouye thinks the office, which oversees vast trust resources worth $600 million, should be able to cover the costs for Mauna ʻAla itself. OHA has some experience managing historical sites. In 2012, the office acquired the land in Wahiawā that houses the Kūkaniloko birthing stones, the birthplace for many of Oʻahu’s high-ranking chiefs. But Inouye also acknowledged that OHA comes with some baggage. The office and its trustees have previously been criticized for mismanaging the office’s finances. An audit two years ago found possible instances of waste, fraud and abuse in OHA contracts within the last decade, which prompted the office’s leadership to tighten its internal controls. In addition to the state, the Aliʻi Trusts, whose namesakes are buried at Mauna ʻAla, have also contributed to improvements at the site under an agreement with DLNR from 2013. Three of the largest trusts — Lunalilo Home, Liliʻuokalani Trust and The Queen’s Health System — either declined to comment or didn’t respond to requests for comment on the future of Mauna ʻAla. In a written statement, Kamehameha Schools said that the care and guardianship of Mauna ʻAla “demands the highest standards from all who are entrusted with this sacred responsibility.” “We trust that OHA and DLNR will continue to work together, alongside the community, to malama this special place.” After Chong was appointed earlier this year, DLNR Director Dawn Chang said that she met with the Aliʻi trusts, royal societies, Hawaiian civic clubs and members of the family that have traditionally cared for the burials, but there was no consensus among them regarding the proposed transfer of Mauna ʻAla to OHA. There was also a proposal at one point to create a new position to deal with the cultural aspects of Mauna ʻAla. Chang said there also wasn’t consensus from those groups on what exactly that position would entail. At recent land board meetings, testifiers and board members have raised concerns that the land department planned to turn parts of Mauna ʻAla, including the curator’s house, into a sort of museum. While the department is undertaking a $325,000 renovation project of the curator’s house, Chang said the goal isn’t to turn it into a commercial enterprise. After the renovations are complete, Chong and future curators would still live on site. Chang said she believes Chong has been doing a good job. She said that Chong has been getting assistance from Kahu Kordell Kekoa on cultural protocols and recently hosted a graduating class of Honolulu firefighters. “I have not received any concerns or complaints,” Chang said. “If anything, we’ve been receiving positive comments about her work there.” Prior to Chong, a family that traced its lineage to chief Hoʻolulu had served as caretakers of Mauna ʻAla for decades. Hoʻolulu, along with his brother, hid the remains of Kamehameha I. In Hawaiian tradition, iwi, or bones, contain a person’s mana, or spiritual power. In ancient times, high-ranking chiefs would often have their remains hidden from people who sought to steal that power. Hoʻolulu and his descendants were entrusted with protecting the remains of Hawaiʻi’s aliʻi into the afterlife. Mauna ʻAla was established in 1864 to house the remains of Kamehameha’s descendants and their close advisers. It later became the resting place for relatives of David Kalākaua and other royal lineages. Now, the descendants hope to see a nonprofit established that could manage Mauna ʻAla in partnership with the Aliʻi trusts — removing the site from state government management entirely. “The OHA solution is just too political,” Mary ‘Amaikalani Beckley Lawrence Gallagher, one of the Hoʻolulu descendants, said. James Maioho, who comes from a branch of that family, is trying to get support from the Alii trusts and other royal societies to eventually transfer management to a nonprofit run by the family. “You’re giving that 3.3 acres back to Kanaka control, back as sovereign land,” Maioho said. Gallagher said that family members have already been discussing who could be the next caretaker and who should be trained to succeed them should the family take over management of Mauna ʻAla. She said the family has weathered through numerous regime changes over the years as management passed from the Hawaiian Kingdom, to the territory and now to the state. “We’ll keep our chins up,” Gallagher said, “and keep ourselves out of the monkey business.” Civil Beat’s coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation.

Hawaii lawmakers urged to act after federal clean energy cuts The Garden Island Andrew Gomes (Star Advertiser) November 19, 2025 Original Article Hawaii’s Legislature may want to consider offering new state tax-credit funding for renewable energy expansion to at least partially offset federal withdrawals. That was a suggestion made to a pair of state Senate committee chairs during a briefing last week about negative impacts on Hawaii climate change mitigation initiatives due to recent federal policy changes and funding pullbacks. Leah Laramee, coordinator of the Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, told Sens. Karl Rhoads and Mike Gabbard at the Nov. 3 briefing that it would be incredibly helpful if more local tax credits were made available for renewable energy and climate change impact mitigation projects in the face of federal cutbacks driven by the administration of President Donald Trump. Laramee told the senators that about $651 million in Hawaii renewable energy projects are at risk due to federal policy and funding changes. “It’s a significant investment that is threatened in the state,” she said. “The loss of these projects is going to have pretty significant impacts on our ability to produce affordable energy locally and impact our energy security.” In recent weeks, the administration of Gov. Josh Green has rolled out state emergency funding programs to help low-income households in Hawaii pay for rent, utilities and food to counteract federal program cuts due to the government shutdown. Most recently, the state Department of Transportation offered to pay federal air traffic and security workers to avoid curtailing flights at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu by 10%. Though the loss of federal financial support for renewable energy isn’t on par with shutdown-related emergency responses, Hawaii residents and businesses pay the highest electricity rates in the nation. The threat of rising sea levels on the local economy also makes climate change impact mitigation a high priority for state leaders. Some of the $651 million in threatened Hawaii renewable energy projects cannot be offset by state funding, such as a planned offshore wind farm where federal officials have ceased regulatory approval action. But state funding could counter canceled federal support for other things including electric vehicles, rooftop solar systems and “carbon smart” food production. Laramee told Rhoads and Gabbard, who respectively chair the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Agriculture and Environment, that one of the biggest federal grant losses for Hawaii was $249 million from a $3 billion nationwide U.S. Department of Agriculture program called Carbon Smart Commodities. The program supported climate-friendly agricultural projects including development of food forests, invasive species management and soil health improvement. “This is really about food security within the state, and that’s been rescinded,” Laramee said. Another move earlier this year rescinded a $62.5 million federal grant used to make low-cost loans for low- and moderate-income households to pay for rooftop solar systems. This Solar for All program was being operated by the Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority, but was terminated in August by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hawaii along with nearly two dozen other states filed lawsuits in October challenging EPA’s rescission of grant funding approved by Congress. Laramee said she was optimistic that the state will prevail, and encouraged the Legislature to keep up support for the state Office of the Attorney General, which is involved in numerous lawsuits over federal policy and funding changes. Laramee also suggested that loan repayment revenue received by the Green Infrastructure Authority be recycled to fund more loans instead of being deposited into the state’s general fund. The briefing held by Rhoads and Gabbard also covered ongoing efforts to invest in plans and projects that make Hawaii more resilient to rising sea level and temperatures — efforts that include pending litigation by the City and County of Honolulu against major oil companies that the Trump Administration has tried to upend. Retired Hawaii Supreme Court justice Michael Wilson urged state leaders to develop a climate protection plan for the islands. Such a plan, he told Rhoads and Gabbard, could start with guarding against the loss of Waikiki Beach, which Wilson said stands to be submerged in 40 or 50 years based on the present rate of global warming impacts and would sap $2 billion of annual visitor spending. After the briefing, Rhoads (D, Nuuanu-Downtown-Iwilei) said in a statement that the presentations by Laramee and Wilson were a sobering reminder that climate change isn’t a distant or abstract issue, and that it directly impacts the health, safety, and economic future of Hawaii residents. “Our responsibility as lawmakers is to take proactive measures to protect our communities and uphold the rights of future generations to a safe and sustainable environment,” Rhoads said. Gabbard (D, Kapolei-Makakilo-Kalaeloa) said in a statement that now is the time to “double down” on the commitment by Hawaii leaders to renewable energy, local food security and climate adaptation to safeguard our islands. “The loss of federal funding for clean energy projects threatens much needed years of progress toward a more sustainable future,” he said. The next session of the Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 21.

Tourism briefing reveals unexpected L.A. Rams expense Star Advertiser Allison Schaefers June 24, 2025 Original Article The state legislators in charge of tourism praised the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, but cried foul on HTA when it learned that the agency now expects to pick up the tab for the team’s welcome reception, estimated to cost from $80,000 to $100,000. Lawmakers brought to light the issues with HTA’s Rams contract during an informational briefing called by Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki), chair of the House Committee on Tourism, and Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, East Maui-Upcountry-Molokai-Lanai-Kahoolawe), chair of the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee. Lawmakers also questioned HTA’s accountability and transparency, as well as the ability of Caroline Anderson, its current interim president and CEO, to lead an agency dealing with significant staffing shortages and problems from allegations of a toxic work environment to inappropriate freebies, procurement violations and late payments to contractors. Named and unnamed HTA officials have even been sued by Isaac Choy, HTA vice president of finance and acting chief administrative officer, who was put on unpaid leave May 9 at the direction of the state attorney general and the Department of Human Resources amid allegations he made racist and sexist remarks on the job. Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa) highlighted HTA’s latest issue when she asked Anderson if HTA had incurred any expenses for the Rams outside of its expected contract expenses. HTA had contracted with the Rams to pay $1.5 million, and another $300,000 if the Rams make the playoffs, to promote tourism in Maui and Hawaii. But Anderson told Kim that it is possible that HTA might have to pay an additional fee to cover the Rams’ welcome reception as “there seems to be some language in the contract which is not clear about what the Rams are paying for and what HTA is paying for.” James Kunane Tokioka, state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism director, opined to lawmakers that the state will have to cover most of the reception at the Wailea Beach Resort- Marriott, Maui, which he estimated will cost $80,000 to $100,000. Tokioka told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Why would the Rams’ contract say they are committed to $5,000? They know that a luau is going to cost more than $5,000 so in their mind the state was paying for it.” Lawmakers grilled Anderson, Tokioka and Todd Apo, HTA board chair, on the emerging issues with the latest Rams contract, which they noted was part of a broader pattern of concerns related to accountability, transparency, and effectiveness. Kim was incredulous that Apo said the board had approved the Rams program, but not the contract in detail. DeCoite said HTA needed an attorney, and said the current process, is “like me giving my business to my granddaughter and saying, ‘Hey just go run wild with the checkbook.’” Tokioka told the Star-Advertiser that he sent an email to the Attorney General’s Office for guidance, but that he thinks “somebody made a commitment that they shouldn’t have made and that put a cloud over the Rams’ visit. But it shouldn’t because what they did was incredible. The community embraced them and they embraced the community.” Tokioka said the contract was negotiated by former HTA Chief Stewardship Officer Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, whose resignation from HTA was effective May 2, and by HTA board member Mufi Hannemann, who was HTA board chair at the time. “They said Mufi told them that the state was going to pay for the reception,” he said. Hannemann was not present at the briefing but told the Star-Advertiser that he “did not authorize to pay for the reception,” and that Tokioka is misrepresenting facts. “It was my expectation that the deal would cover the reception,” Hannemann said, adding that he had heard that Ka‘ana‘ana was putting in a contingency in the budget. While Tokioka and Hannemann disagree on what happened with the most recent Rams contract, they both supported the current partnership and are interested in future partnerships. Hannemann said that the latest partnership with the Rams as well as the reception brought undeniable returns. As part of HTA’s partnership with the Rams, Mauicamp started on June 16 and ended Thursday. On June 17-18, the Rams also hosted on-field team activities that featured players in workout gear at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku. “As many as 457 people came to Maui including the players, VIPs, the staff and their premium fan base. Everyplace we went people were circulating and spending money,” Hannemann said. “It reinforced the message that Maui is open for business and it welcomes people back. This deal was driven by HTA. The tourism industry shined on behalf of the people of Maui and the state’s economy. The governor and the mayor supported us doing this deal — that’s why this is a head scratcher. “ HTA also will serve as the presenting sponsor of a Rams 2025 home game at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, and as the presenting sponsor of the Rams’ offseason content on therams.com and social channels, including in-depth coverage of the team’s visit to Maui. Tokioka said he was not a part of earlier contract negotiations with the Rams. But he said that he is pursuing a new partnership with the Rams that would allow the University of Hawaii to play UCLA at SoFi Stadium. He said UCLA was supposed to come to Hawaii to play, but that the university currently doesn’t have a stadium available. Tokioka said there are still details to work out, but if the partnership prevails, the University of Hawaii would play UCLA on Sept. 18, 2027, at SoFi Stadium as a home game for Hawaii. “There’s a desire with the Rams to do more with the state of Hawaii than is currently on the table,” he said. “By 2026, we should know if we’ll get to play in SoFi or not. UCLA has never played in SoFi and never has UH. SoFi Stadium is the premier stadium in the NFL right now.” During the briefing, which lasted about six hours, several lawmakers expressed concern that HTA was even necessary given that Senate Bill 1571, which was signed into law May 29, has downgraded the HTA board to an advisory role, and DBEDT now has oversight of most of the board’s previous functions. Sen. Glenn Wakai (D, Kalihi-Salt Lake-Pearl Harbor) discussed the possibility of bifurcating HTA’s marketing and destination stewardship between two state agencies. DeCoite suggested folding HTA into DBEDT. Tam said he has begun working on drafting a bill to implement all of the recommendations in a third-party governance study released last July by Better Destinations LLC, founded by Cathy Ritter. The study, which cost nearly $300,000, recommended that a private, independent, nonprofit Destination Stewardship Organization (referred to as a DSO) replace HTA, which was created by the state Legislature more than a quarter of a century ago. Tam said he was baffled that the study was not presented to lawmakers at the beginning of this year’s session so that they could have had public hearings to discuss the findings. “The first thing in the governance study was that you guys pretty much needed to be replaced. You didn’t like what it says so you guys are just kicking the can down the road … until people forget about it. That’s just appalling,” Tam said.

State leaders break ground on new Central Oʻahu agriculture and food hub KITV Gil Cano November 14, 2025 Original Article WAHIAWĀ, Hawaiʻi (Island News) -- State leaders broke ground Friday on a new agriculture and food hub in Wahiawā, a project aimed at boosting local food production and reducing Hawaiʻi’s reliance on imports. The event, held in Whitmore Village, featured remarks from First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz and other state officials. A blessing was performed before the ceremony, and local vendors showcased products that the hub is designed to support. The Central Oʻahu Agriculture and Food Hub is part of a statewide effort to increase locally sourced meals in public schools and expand the market for Hawaiʻi farmers and food producers. Officials say the project is expected to help feed keiki, create jobs and give farmers the infrastructure they need to grow and scale their businesses. First Lady Jaime Kanani Green thanked lawmakers for setting statewide goals for local food sourcing, saying the hub will help Hawaiʻi move closer to meeting them. “Mahalo to our legislators, not only for their vision calling for 30% of locally sourced school meals by 2030 and aiming for 50% locally procured food by 2050, but also for providing the resources we need for the infrastructure like this food hub to achieve our goals,” Green said. “We can create local jobs, pathways for our students, help expand exports — so many compounding effects that will revitalize the community,” Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said. The hub is also intended to help reduce dependence on imported foods by supporting more locally grown fruits, vegetables and value-added products. Speakers at the event said they hope the project will inspire innovation and strengthen rural communities statewide.

Drought grips Big Island Hawaii Tribune-Herald John Burnett August 10, 2025 Original Article Drought conditions are becoming “a crisis” in some areas of Hawaii Island. Tina Stall, a National Weather Service hydrologist in Honolulu, said the driest areas are in the Ka‘u and Hamakua districts, as well as the leeward lower elevations of Kohala. “It’s really a lot of the same,” said Stall, comparing July’s rainfall and the first week of August to June. “There’s not much improvement for most areas, and the Hamakua and Ka‘u areas are still in pretty bad shape.” Hilo International Airport, with 3.75 inches of rain, and Waiakea Experimental Station, with 4.7 inches, had their driest July since 2010, while Hakalau, at 1.26 inches, experienced its driest July since 2011. Kealakomo, at 0.4 inches, had its second-driest July on record, as did Waimea, at 1.4 inches. Conditions on the island range from abnormally dry to extreme drought, and the absence of rain has left many areas quite dry and prone to wildfires. The Big Island has had several red flag warning days in the past month, the same conditions where abnormally arid and windy conditions lead to increased fire hazards. Those were the conditions in effect when Maui had the catastrophic fires two years ago that left more than 100 people dead. West Hawaii had wind-driven wildfires, as well, without the loss of life, but with seven structures destroyed or damaged. A brush fire on parched pastureland near Paauilo on Thursday blackened about 150 acres, requiring both county helicopters to make water drops and bulldozers to cut fire breaks. Another brush fire was reported in the area mid-afternoon Friday, causing a road closure on Highway 19 between the 36 and 39 mile markers and advisories to residents near Old Mill Road in Paauilo to be prepared for evacuation. On Saturday, there was a small fire near the 21-mile marker of Highway 19 on the Hamakua Coast that led to the temporary closure of the Hilo-bound lane. A nearby rain gauge in Honokaa received just 2.28 inches for July, 31% of its usual total for the month, and 19.38 inches for the first seven months of the year, 32% of average. “We’re about halfway through the dry season, so we’ve got a ways to go yet,” said Talmadge Magno, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator. “We knew we were going to have an issue coming out of the wet season this past winter, because rainfall was below average already.” “I was talking … to the National Weather Service (on Thursday), and we’re probably about 50% under what we’re supposed to have,” Magno continued. “It’s contributing to fires, and you have some folks on catchment, so we’re monitoring that to make sure the Department of Water Supply has enough spigots out for folks, enough for the water haulers so they can provide for the folks who are on catchment. “We’re also encouraging people to order water early, before they run out, basically.” State Sen. Tim Richards of Waimea, a large-animal veterinarian who grew up on Kahua Ranch, said the drought in some areas — including Waimea, Kohala and Hamakua — “is absolutely a crisis.” “Because of our tropical grasses, most of our livestock get almost half of their water through grazing,” Richards said. “But when it’s really dry, the demand for water almost doubles because the livestock gets water from the grass itself. And that’s where it really strains our watering system. “The water systems are being put to the test. The Hamakua ranchers are running out of stock water. We just got permission to tap into the Waimea water system that (the state Department of Agriculture) runs to allow us to pull water for emergency services for livestock. We’re short of feed right now, but more pressing than that is the shortage of drinking water. “And of course, the crops, everything that relies upon rain, everything’s being impacted by that.”

State senators see results — and challenges — during illegal fireworks bunker inspection Kauai Now October 9, 2025 Original Article Members of the Hawai‘i Senate conducted a site visit at the beginning of this month to inspect a bunker used to store illegal fireworks confiscated by law enforcement. Senators also were briefed about the ongoing work of the Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement Illegal Fireworks Task Force, highlighting enforcement efforts and challenges of addressing illegal fireworks throughout the islands. “Illegal fireworks pose serious risks to our neighborhoods, and the work of the task force is critical to protecting the public,” said Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs Sen. Brandon Elefante of O‘ahu in a Senate release about the site visit. Elefante added that the Hawai‘i Legislature — as made apparent by the passage of Acts 246, 243, 244 and 247 during the 2025 legislative session — is committed to supporting the Illegal Fireworks Task Force and its enforcement, as well as effective legislation addressing illegal fireworks in the state. “Illegal fireworks jeopardize the quality of life in our communities, and that’s why the Legislature created the task force — to ensure we have the tools to protect our residents and hold violators accountable,” said chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz of O‘ahu in the Senate release. The Illegal Fireworks Task Force — established in 2023 to coordinate enforcement and strengthen interagency collaboration — DURING THE PAST 2 YEARS: Seized more than 227,000 pounds of illegal fireworks. Conducted more than 1,200 enforcement operations. Coordinated multi-agency interdictions that disrupted major shipments of illegal fireworks statewide. “The creation of the task force has allowed us to better align county, state and federal resources, and these results show the progress we can achieve when we work together,” said Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert in the release.

Hawaii urges voluntary pause on bird movement due to avian flu detection Big Island Times Big Island Times December 13, 2024 Original Article In response to the detection of avian flu in Hawaii's wastewater and wild birds, state agencies are recommending a voluntary 90-day pause on the interisland movement of poultry and other bird species. This measure is suggested by Moloka‘i State Senator and farmer Lynn DeCoite as a way to prevent the spread of the virus. Before November, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) had not been found in Hawaii. Although this strain has been present in the continental U.S., Europe, and Asia, Hawaii was the last U.S. state to confirm infections among birds. The HPAI strain likely arrived via migrating birds from northern regions near Alaska. Transmission occurs through direct contact between birds or through contact with contaminated materials. The state's response involves several agencies working together: While human transmission risk is low, residents are advised to stay alert. Sick pets should be reported to veterinarians. Unusual illnesses in poultry, livestock, or wild birds should be reported to HDOA at 808-483-7100 during business hours or 808-837-8092 after hours. Residents who develop symptoms after exposure to sick birds should contact the DOH disease reporting line at 808-586-4586 for guidance. State experts recognize the difficulty of controlling wild bird movements but believe that limiting domestic bird movement will reduce transmission risks. At Senator DeCoite’s request, data collection is underway to evaluate the need for a formal quarantine while considering economic impacts on local products. State Senator and veterinarian Dr. Tim Richards expressed his support for this precautionary measure, stating: