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Public schools improvise as strain of Covid staffing shortages mounts
The Department of Education says at Kahuku High & Intermediate, some students are being supervised in the cafeteria or gym due to multiple teachers being out without substitute teacher coverage. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

New caucus focuses on issues facing working families
During the upcoming legislative session, the Working Families Caucus will sponsor five bills. They focus on raising the minimum wage, paid sick and family leave, the earned income tax credit, renter’s credit and exempting unemployment payments from personal income tax. Hawaii Public Radio.

Rep. Sharon Har gets drunk driving case dismissed on technicality
State Rep. Sharon Har was acquitted of drunken driving and the case against her was dismissed today after her attorney cited a Dec. 10 Hawai‘i Supreme Court decision asserting that criminal complaints are defective if they do not follow a procedural law requiring a signed affidavit or official declaration from the complaining party. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

House may ask AG to probe alleged criminal conduct by state auditor
The committee tasked by the Hawai‘i House of Representatives to examine two state audits is expected to make numerous recommendations next week to the Legislature based on its work over the past eight months. Civil Beat.

Ige mulls change to Safe Travels: To be deemed ‘fully vaccinated,’ booster shot would be needed
Gov. David Ige said Monday he is considering changes to the state’s Safe Travels program to take into account users’ booster status. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News Now.

250 traveling nurses headed to the islands, state sees surge in hospitalizations
Originally, state hospital leaders expected support staff to start arriving on Jan. 10. But now that start date has been postponed by a week as the state’s request for additional federal funds remain up in the air. KITV4.

U.S. military tracking Russian military vessel near Hawai‘i
The vessel has been in waters just outside of the Hawai‘i’s exclusive economic zone while commanders have monitored movements since at least Friday. Star-Advertiser.

HPD And DOE sued for allegedly handcuffing 10-year-old girl over drawing
The civil rights lawsuit was filed Friday and alleges that the girl suffered physical, emotional and physiological injuries in the wake of the incident. Civil Beat.

New laws called for as use of illegal fireworks continues
Battlefield conditions created by illegal fireworks that consume Honolulu every New Year’s Eve have become a nearly year-round affair, prompting lawmakers to call for more enforcement and new laws. Star-Advertiser.

O‘ahu renewable energy suffers setback
One renewable energy development firm recently terminated an agreement to produce electricity from a proposed 60-megawatt solar farm in Kunia, while the developer of a project twice as big in the same area is on the brink of possibly doing the same. Star-Advertiser.

First cruise ship to Hawaiʻi in 2 years arrives with positive Covid-19 cases in isolation
Department of Transportation spokesperson Jai Cunningham said the cruise line has reported multiple positive Covid-19 cases — although declined to give numbers on passengers or staff. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawai‘i is a generous place, even in challenging times. Whether it’s funding scholarships for at-risk students or organizing a food drive, you can count on many local companies to step up. These 51 companies made a difference in 2020. Altogether, they donated more than $91 million… read more.

Hydrologist: A wet December closed out 2021
After the first two months of the wet season — October and November — got off to a slow start, December “appears to have made up for lost ground,” according to Kevin Kodama, senior hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Tribune-Herald.

Maui police face a ‘staffing crisis’ of their own with alarming number of vacancies
There are currently 145 vacant positions within the Maui Police Department. A police official said officers are leaving either due to retirement, early retirements, transferring to departments on the mainland or moving on to other careers. Hawaii News Now.

Maui County rainfall alleviates drought after one of the wettest Decembers in half century
One of the wettest Decembers in the last half century quenched extreme drought in Maui County, which was suffering from the worst conditions in the state. Maui Now.