Green pledges new approach to state government
Gov. Josh Green added new details to a range of ideas including how to add more tourist fees to access state parks and trails while renewing his promise that his administration will be transparent and “nimble.” Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Tax breaks urged for ALICE families: Gov. Green pivots from GET reform efforts
Removing the general excise tax on food and medicine might not be the best way to help struggling Hawai‘i residents, Gov. Josh Green said Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Lawmakers want more information made public on inmate deaths in state prisons and jails
House and Senate measures would require corrections officials to announce each prisoner death on a website, and include information on what caused each fatality. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers introduce several gambling bills
A raft of gambling-related bills have been introduced in the state Legislature and have passed first readings on their respective chamber’s floors. Hawai‘i is one of only two states that hasn’t legalized any form of commercial gambling. Utah is the other. Tribune-Herald.

Hawai‘i arrivals hit 9.25M in spite of Japan drop-off
Hawai‘i ended 2022 with less than 90% of the visitor arrivals that it had in the pre-pandemic 2019, mostly because of the drop in international visitors, especially from Japan, which is historically Hawai‘i’s top international market. Star-Advertiser.

Feds award Hawai‘i Title I schools $73 million
Hawai‘i’s Title I public schools, which serve a disproportionate number of students living in poverty, will get $73 million in added federal funding for the 2023-2024 school year — an increase of $15 million over 2022. Star-Advertiser.

Researchers hope Hawai‘i lawmakers fund cancer research this year
A new study would seek to get to the bottom of why Native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Pacific Islanders face high rates of many cancers. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi researchers’ work could change life expectancy of mesothelioma patients
Michele Carbone and Haining Yang, both doctors leading a team of UH researchers, received several grants for the project — including a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2019. Hawaii Public Radio.

Jim Leahey was the golden voice of Hawai‘i sports
Leahey, who was considered the “voice of University of Hawai‘i sports” during a six-decade broadcasting career, died on Monday morning at The Queen’s Medical Center. He was 80. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. Maui Now.  Kauai Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

Former police chief prevails in defamation suit brought by ex-SHOPO president
A jury on Monday sided with former Police Chief Susan Ballard in a defamation suit. The suit was brought by Tenari Maafala, who stepped down as president of the police union in 2018. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Under pilot, some repeat law-breakers in Chinatown are being given a choice: Jail or treatment
Under a pilot project, treatment is approved by the court before a judge ever rules on the case. The idea is to get homeless drug addicts into residential drug treatment programs right after they’re arrested. Hawaii News Now.

A new development offers affordable land for small farms on the North Shore
Developer Peter Savio is launching a new agricultural project called “Orchard Plantation,” which provides 155 acres of Waialua orchard land. Hawaii News Now.

Avalon Group buys Downtown Honolulu building for housing
Avalon Group said Monday that its newly-acquired 378,000-square-foot Davies Pacific Center office building along Bishop Street will be converted to a mixed-use development. It will feature up to 120,000-square-feet of office and retail uses, and the balance will be converted into up to 400 workforce and market-rate residential units. KITV4.

Marine biologists near end of 5-year study on health of Hanauma Bay
The University of Hawai‘i Institute for Marine Biology is winding up a five-year visitor capacity study on Hanauma Bay on Oʻahu. The bay was 56% clearer during the Covid-19 closures than before the closures when it was open to the public in 2019, according to the study. Hawaii Public Radio.

Business leaders and local residents report on remote work, masking, events, tourism, paying for local products and more… read more.

Pōhakuloa Training Area receives funding to protect and restore native plants and species
The U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai‘i, Pōhakuloa Training Area, located between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in the Saddle Road region, will receive $1.3 million for its Nāpu‘u Natural Resource Protection: Mitigating Rare Plant Impacts project. Big Island Now.

‘A sleepover for county council’: Marathon Maui meeting raises concerns about public participation
In the wake of a tumultuous, 18-hour long meeting in which residents said they felt “disenfranchised” and held “hostage” while waiting to have a say in their local government’s decision-making process, the new Maui County Council chair says she’s planning to change up the rules to make it easier to testify.  Civil Beat.

Kanahā Pond on Maui to get predator-proof fencing to protect nesting habitats
Pono Pacific Land Management was recently awarded a contract by the state to install 8,000 linear feet of an anticipated 14,785-foot predator-proof fence at Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary on Maui. Maui Now.

Weekend storm drenches Maui
Preliminary data from the National Weather Service shows rainfall from Jan. 27-30 was measured at 23.61 inches at Puʻu Aliʻi, Molokaʻi, and from 5 to 15 inches over parts of Maui. Maui Now. Maui News.

Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kaua‘i receives funding for invasive species
Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands is set to receive funding for detection and management of high-impact aquatic and terrestrial invasive species. Kauai Now.

County property taxes due soon
County Department of Finance officials said in a press release that the second installment of real property taxes for the 2022-23 tax year is due on Feb. 20. Garden Island.