Staff Shortages At Public Schools

Staff shortages hit Hawaii Public Schools with 800 teachers out sick.

Views expressed in this Hawaii State News summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.

Accessed on 06 January 2022, 2341 UTC.

Content provided by “Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters.”

Source:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGmtNbPmcXmjjzFRfzwBmLcjbzl

Please click link or scroll down to read your selections.

Locally Owned, Locally Committed Since 1955

1.6.2022

TOP STORIES

Staff shortages hit Hawai‘i public schools with 800 teachers out sick
Hawai‘i’s public schools are now starting to see disruptions due to rising teacher absences caused by the Covid-19 omicron variant surge, state schools interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi has confirmed. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Gov. David Ige’s emergency powers, Rainy Day proposal face challenges
Following nearly two years of Covid-19-related emergency proclamations issued by Gov. David Ige, the state House plans to consider legislation that would allow lawmakers to restrict the governor’s ability to issue future emergency proclamations through a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

State parks requests $9M budget increase for more staff, maintenance
During the current fiscal year, the State Parks division received about $3 million through special funds. They are requesting $12 million for fiscal year 2023. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawai‘i is beefing up its potential to produce more meat locally
A billionaire’s investment in the state’s biggest slaughterhouses and a shift to more grass-fed operations could help ranchers keep their cattle in the islands after years of sending them to the mainland. Civil Beat.

Traffic returns to pre-pandemic numbers statewide
The state Department of Transportation has been monitoring traffic volumes during the Covid-19 public health emergency. On O‘ahu, traffic on the H-1 near the airport is still significantly reduced. Some parts of the freeway were down by 21% compared to 2019. Hawaii Public Radio.

Affordable federal internet program underway; 100,000 Hawaiʻi households may qualify
The new federal program will continue providing discounts on internet service for low-income families statewide. It is funded through the $65 billion Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act passed by Congress in November 2021. Maui Now.

Hawai‘i hospitalization numbers skew people admitted for Covid-19
As Hawai‘i’s Covid-19 case counts have surged to triple the level seen since the start of the pandemic, state and local leaders have stressed that the focus should be not on case counts but hospitalization numbers when deciding whether to reinstate restrictions on businesses and gatherings, shut down in-person learning or continue indoor masking requirements. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

When experts talk about Covid one day being ‘endemic,’ here’s what they mean
Ray Vara, president and CEO of Hawai‘i Pacific Health, said at a news conference Wednesday that there is optimism that Omicron could be moving the world closer to the end of the pandemic. Hawaii News Now. Maui Now.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
My Job Is Preserving Damaged Scrolls and Precious Art
Sakurai, born in Kyoto, Japan, says she decided to become an artist at age 3. After earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture and design from Kyoto Institute of Technology, she resumed her focus on art. “If I don’t keep doing this technique and using traditional materials, this type of art could die out… read more.

OʻAHU

Honolulu caps capacity of large indoor events to slow Covid spread
Honolulu will require that all indoor events with at least 1,000 people attending cap attendees to 50% or less of capacity. The rules will be in place for the last three weeks of January, Mayor Rick Blangiardi said during a press conference with several leaders in Hawai‘i’s health care industry. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Visits to USS Arizona Memorial to resume after dock repairs made
Visits to the USS Arizona Memorial are set to resume Thursday after a shoreside dock was delivered and reinstalled on Wednesday at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial visitor center. Star-Advertiser.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE

8 Things Hawaiʻi Companies Should Know About Hiring Interns

Internships are a valuable path to full-time jobs. The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that 66.4% of 2020 interns received job offers from the companies they interned at, provided they were qualified… read more.

HAWAIʻI ISLAND

Most residents favor tourism: Big Island survey results presented to County Council committee
According to a 2021 survey, 70% of 1,011 respondents say tourism is the most important industry for the island’s economy, far outstripping other industries, such as agriculture. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island is experiencing a post-holiday surge of Covid-19, driven largely by Omicron
Covid-19 cases on Hawaiʻi Island took a slight dip Tuesday after four consecutive days of record-breaking numbers and more than 900 cases seen since the New Year. Hawaii Public Radio.

Covid surge hits Kona Community Hospital. West Hawaii Today. Big Island Now.

Rezoning request for Hilo housing project advances
A proposed 90-unit affordable housing project in Hilo moved one step closer to reality Wednesday after a County Council committee approved a zoning change. Tribune-Herald.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
This Fresh, Local Crackseed is Handmade
Jade Food Products makes li hing mui in 500- to 1,000-pound batches. Employees wash plums from California and Taiwan to make li hing mui. The plums are dried in an oven overnight. The next day, employees move them into barrels... read more.

MAUI COUNTY

ʻUaʻu populations on Lānaʻi are on the rebound, conservationists say
Lānaʻi is home to one-third of the world’s population of ʻuaʻu. But high rates of predation by feral cats and rats have put petrel colonies on Lānaʻi in peril. Hawaii Public Radio.

KAUAʻI

Families reel with Waimea landslide blocking a portion of Menehune Road
Frustration over the lack of activity grew among residents affected by the closure of a portion of Menehune Road near the swinging bridge over the Waimea River Wednesday. Garden Island.

DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE