Welcome to the Hawaii Island News update from Hawaii News Digest.
Top Story: A new law allows expanded benefits for disabled vets, Purple Heart vets, and POWs.
Content supplied by the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald.”
Accessed on 03 February 2020, 1435 UTC, Post 20220.
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https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/category/hawaii-news/
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Benefits expanded for disabled vets, Purple Heart vets, former POWs
A new law that took effect Jan. 1 allows more veterans than ever privileges to military service exchanges, commissaries, and military recreational facilities such as golf courses, bowling alleys and movie theaters.
Vacation rental denials appealed
Appeals are pouring in from vacation rental owners who were denied permits, with the county Board of Appeals agenda including 25 contested cases for its Feb. 14 meeting in Kona.
Puna meeting to focus on broadband access, telehealth
Discussion will turn to health and technology later this month at a town hall meeting about telehealth and broadband service in Puna.
Lego Masters: South Kona woman pairs up with Texas friend to appear on Fox TV show
Did you unleash your inner architect and play with Legos as a child?
League of Women Voters seeks smooth transition to mailed ballots
Although Hawaii Island, along with the rest of the state, has been voluntarily transitioning from walk-in voting to mail-in ballots over the past 20 years, the local chapter of the League of Women Voters is concerned some voters may be left behind in an election offering only two locations for on-site voting.
Clarification of herbicide policy sought
After a ban on the use of herbicides by county workers was definitively quashed last month, two Hawaii County Council members are introducing a resolution that will clarify the countys position on herbicide use.
Council to discuss status of closed beach parks
Two North Hilo beach parks long closed to the public will be the subject of an hourlong presentation next week by the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
Senator wants probe of Hawaii FAA office after 3 crashes
HONOLULU A whistleblower has told a Senate committee that a manager in the Federal Aviation Administrations Hawaii field office improperly let a helicopter tour company owner certify pilots for flight on behalf of the agency.
Report: Hawaii gets mixed grades on tobacco control efforts
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) Hawaii received mixed grades on its efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use last year amid concerns about worsening youth vaping, a report said.
Slain Honolulu officer honored by colleagues and community
HONOLULU (AP) Law enforcement officers from around the country gathered in Honolulu for a ceremony to honor one of two officers killed while responding to a call in which a suspect and his landlord died and nearby homes were leveled by fire.
Hawaii’s AG, others file suit over food stamps rule
State Attorney General Clare E. Connors has joined a group of 20 state attorneys general and New York City in a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from eliminating food assistance for almost 700,000 Americans.
Too soon to measure impact of outbreak on Hawaii tourism
State tourism officials said earlier this week that its too early to determine the impact the ongoing coronavirus outbreak will have on Hawaiis tourism industry.
Man sentenced to 8 years for crash that killed firefighter
In a courtroom wrought with emotion, the man responsible for the May 2019 traffic death of a Hawaii Fire Department captain was sentenced on Friday.
Pigs out of control on Maunakea
A pair of bills in the state Legislature aims to remove limits on hunting feral pigs on Maunakea in order to protect plant life.
Parolee faces drug, firearms charges
A 43-year-old Hilo man was charged with a slew of drug- and firearms-related charges after police allegedly found him slumped over the steering wheel of a car, apparently asleep, in the left-turn lane on Kanoelehua Avenue onto Kekuanaoa Street toward Hilo International Airport on Jan. 22.
State briefs: Senate committee passes bill to assist home buyers
HONOLULU A Hawaii state Senate committee has approved a bill that would provide up to $50,000 for down payments for first-time home buyers.
Police discipline detailed: Five officers terminated in 2019 in unrelated cases
Five Hawaii Police Department officers were terminated in 2019 and seven were suspended for disciplinary reasons, a department official said Thursday.
Kung Hee Fat Choy! Kohala’s Tong Wo Society opens Sunday for Chinese New Year
Once a year, the 136-year-old Tong Wo Society in North Kohala opens its doors to the public, and on Sunday the community is invited to tour the historic building and celebrate Chinese New Year.
‘It’s not just a Kona problem:’ Another year, another fight over coffee-labeling law
The latest effort to change labeling requirements for Hawaiian-grown coffee blends is making its way through the state Legislature.
Prosecutor: Beating victim’s escape prevented possible death
A 22-year-old woman reportedly beaten by her boyfriend with a claw hammer and dull knife and locked in a room in their Ainaloa home Saturday night told police she kicked out a window screen and ran to a neighbors house for help, according to a court document.