Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters

“State considers another tax refund to ease pinch of Hawai’i’s rising cost of living.”

Views expressed in this Hawaii State News summary are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 05 January 2023, 2040 UTC.

Source: https://www.hawaiibusinessmagazine.com (Hawaii State News from “Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters”).

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Locally Owned, Locally Committed Since 1955

1.5.2023

TOP STORIES

State considers another tax refund to ease pinch of Hawai‘i’s rising cost of living
Fresh from issuing a $300 tax rebate to residents, Gov. Josh Green’s administration is considering another tax refund this year. But unlike the previous rebate, this one is for the middle-class and low-income residents struggling with Hawai‘i’s high cost of living and inflation. Hawaii News Now.

Tens of thousands in Hawai‘i may be working less because they have ‘long Covid’
UHERO surveyed nearly 2,500 households across the state for the past six months to a year. A fraction of the survey respondents who tested positive also reported experiencing long Covid symptoms. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

State sees increase in flu cases but decrease in RSV
Flu season started early this year as the number of cases rose again in December throughout Hawai‘i, according to the state Department of Health’s Influenza Surveillance Report. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi Life Flight announces return to service
This comes following a safety stand down taken in response to the disappearance of a Hawaiʻi Life Flight medical aircraft that disappeared off the coast of Maui while enroute to pick up a patient located on Hawaiʻi Island on Dec. 15. Maui Now.

Hawai‘i’s public school spending receives a C
Hawai‘i’s spending on public school education has earned C grades in a new national report, with per-pupil spending here reported at $14,662 — $784 less than the U.S. average. Star-Advertiser.

Experts detail ‘huge’ cost of converting Hawai‘i’s cesspools during legislative hearing
The total estimated cost of modernizing the roughly 88,000 cesspools across the state is $2 billion, according to members of the Cesspool Conversion Working Group. KITV4. Civil Beat.

David Matlin to retire in June as UH athletic director
The University of Hawai‘i will be seeking a new leader for its 21-sport program following David Matlin’s announcement Wednesday that he will retire in June after eight years as athletic director. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Media veteran Erika Engle named press secretary to Gov. Green
Makana McClellan, Gov. Josh Green’s communication director, said Erika Engle will assist her in facilitating media requests, writing news releases and media advisories. Civil Beat.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Tracking Hawai‘i Paychecks Versus Living Costs Since 1969
To see if people are better off than their grandparents, we compared wages after inflation, debt loads, where people spent their money and more….. read more.

OʻAHU

Honolulu Council Chair: ‘Remote testimony is here to stay’
A measure that opened the door to precluding citizens from testifying remotely at council sessions had officials issuing a clarification on Wednesday. Civil Beat.

HECO working with FBI after O‘ahu power plant receives several letters with threatening innuendos
Officials at Hawaiian Electric’s Kahe Power Plant in Leeward O‘ahu confirm they’re working with the FBI after receiving several letters with threatening innuendos. Hawaii News Now.

City taps Covid funds to fight Chinatown crime, homelessness
In an effort to extend the anti-crime and homeless outreach efforts of the Chinatown Task Force through the year, Mayor Rick Blangiardi has announced that the city is again tapping federal Covid-19 relief funds. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Marines to conduct urban raid training on O‘ahu this month
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Japan-based Maritime Raid Force will return to O‘ahu on Friday to conduct a series of training events through Jan. 20. Star-Advertiser.

$10M allotted for education, preservation of internment sites
Co-authored by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, the new law funds the preservation of the Japanese American internment camps including Hono‘uli‘uli on O‘ahu which housed more than 2,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

City to issue violation notice in wake of deadly rock wall collapse in Kailua
Last Friday, a 15-foot retaining wall collapsed at a Kailua home on Akiikii Place killing 22-year-old Sione Veikoso and seriously injuring 3 others. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Signs to receive Hawaiian diacritics on Oʻahu’s Leeward coast
Under a new policy that was announced early March 2022, the state’s Department of Transportation will add Hawaiian diacritical markings to road signs. This will include adding the kahakō and ‘okina to about 16 signs on Oʻahu over the next couple months. Hawaii Public Radio.

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HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Native Honeycreepers Evolved Over 6 Million Years. Now They’re Barely Hanging On.

As mosquitos move into higher elevations, they kill off endemic species. A single mosquito bite is enough to kill several types of land birds. A UH Hilo specialist is working to save them…. read more.

HAWAIʻI ISLAND

Consultant finds numerous flaws in county’s building permit process
A Washington-based consultant found that there were several shortcomings throughout the entire permitting structure, particularly a lack of documentation for matters ranging from basic meeting agendas to policy and procedure manuals. Tribune-Herald.

Panel OKs spending plans for $2.3 million in fuel taxes
The Finance Committee voted unanimously, with Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz excused, to advance to the full council bills 3 and 4, which would appropriate more than $859,000 in excess fuel taxes and reappropriate over $1.15 million in lapsed funds, respectively. West Hawaii Today.

Work on Kaʻū Water System improvements set to begin
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, through its contractor Isemoto Contracting Co., is scheduled to begin construction on a new 100,000-gallon water storage tank as part of a project to connect Pastoral homestead lots awarded to native Hawaiians in the mid-1980s to county water service. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
This Nonprofit Is a Lifeline for Special-Needs Children and Their Families
HUGS provides services and support to every member of the family. HUGS provides services and support to every member of the family. They have date nights and mothers and fathers nights for the parents, summer camps for the siblings, and activities for the children suffering illness or disease.... read more.

MAUI COUNTY

Maui County Council awaits Hawaiʻi Supreme Court election decision on final member
Eight of the nine members of the Maui County Council were sworn into office on Monday, and the fate of the last seat, that of incumbent Alice Lee, remains up in the air. Hawaii Public Radio.

Grappling with water shortage ‘crisis,’ West Maui residents demand answers
About 800 customers in West Maui had no water or low water pressure because of ongoing drought conditions and a construction pipe that was impacting flow. Officials added that all those issues had been fixed on Wednesday. However, residents are still reporting problems. Hawaii News Now.

KAUAʻI

Doctors want to maximize the potential of anti-addiction medication for Kaua‘i inmates
Overcoming the urge to return to heroin or other opioids upon release is only part of the problem. Many encounter a life outside without basic resources. Civil Beat.