FEMA reviews Hawaii’s COVID funding after Sylvia Luke indictment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reviewing FEMA-­funded COVID-19 work that has been tied to the public corruption indictment of Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and four others, and the agency said it may seek repayment or oth er enforcement actions if it finds improper spending. Star-Advertiser.Hawai‘i Could Hit New Low For Voter Turnout This Year. Oʻahu voters seem apathetic. But competitive mayoral races on Kauaʻi and Maui, where candidates have spent big, are energizing voters. Civil Beat.New images of the sun show its surface in the finest detail yet.  Researchers were able to peek at its scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  Associated Press. Reuters. Anti-war advocates protest RIMPAC in Hawai'i. The 30th Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC exercise, ended last week, but dozens of anti-war advocates gathered at the state Capitol Tuesday to protest military action across the islands. Hawaii Public Radio.Hawaiʻi Moves Forward With $150M Fiber Optic Broadband Expansion. Hawaiian Telcom has been contracted to deliver fiber-optic service to approximately 5,800 homes that currently lack modern broadband access. Big Island Video News. Garden Island.OahuPUC rejects HECO’s power plant proposal ‘without demonstration of need’. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission declined Hawaiian Electric Co.’s request to add a 500-megawatt power plant, finding that it would not be in the public’s best interest to move forward without identifying whether Oahu needs it. Star-Advertiser.With Waters’ departure, 3 vie for East Honolulu Council seat. East Honolulu’s City Council race has been reshaped after Council Chair Tommy Waters was disqualified from seeking a third consecutive term, leaving three candidates vying for the seat he has held since 2019. In District 4, former Council member Trevor Ozawa, small-business owner Tara Malia Gregory and city employee Jason Liang are competing to represent the area stretching from Waikiki to Hawaii Kai. Star-Advertiser.JERA takes public comment on importing LNG to power Hawaiʻi. JERA Americas held the first of two community meeting events in Honolulu on Aug. 3, which drew about 75 people. Hawaii Public Radio.OCCC inmate captured after nearly 11-hour manhunt. An inmate who escaped from the Oahu Community Correctional Center Wednesday morning was captured after a manhunt that lasted nearly 11 hours. Joseph Tauilemua, 20, was arrested on military property at around 8 p.m. by Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam police, according to the Honolulu Police Department.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.Honolulu police use drones as first responders in 2 districts. The Honolulu Police Department is using drones as first responders to 911 calls for police service and requests for help in two patrol districts as part of a push to use technology to expand public safety. Star-Advertiser.Proposed master plan for Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden includes new tourist fee. Dozens of community members joined botanical garden staff Wednesday night for an interactive presentation of the near-final master plan for Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden, which includes proposals for renovated facilities and a tourist entry fee. Hawaii News Now.Hawaii IslandState agrees to $3.25M settlement with Peter Boy Kema’s siblings. The state has agreed to apologize and pay $3.25 million to the siblings of Peter “Pepe” Kema to settle a years-long civil lawsuit over the 6-year-old’s tragic death. An attorney for the Kema family said the proposed agreement would compensate Chauntelle, Allan, and Lina Acol, who filed the lawsuit against the state in 2018. Hawaii News Now.Hawaiʻi Island lawmakers set to redefine role of main economic agency. The Department of Research and Development collects economic data and supports local industries like agriculture, energy, and tourism. Some county council members say the department’s mandate in county code is vague. Hawaii Public Radio.Hawaiʻi County reaches agreement with landowner to prevent eminent domain for widening of a Puna road. The Hawaiʻi County Council was going to vote Wednesday on whether to authorize condemnation of 3.74 acres of land to make Government Beach Road safer, but was asked to postpone the decision to allow for the agreement to be finalized with Lum Family Enterprises. Big Island Now.Council OK’s coconut rhinoceros beetle resolution urging state to do more. Advocates for a new rule aimed at stopping the spread of the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle on Hawaii Island say that its implementation and enforcement has been lacking since going into effect earlier this year. Tribune-Herald.Hawaiʻi County’s District 4 is an open council seat with Ashley Kierkiewicz unable to run due to term limits. The candidates are Shannon Smiley Burrows, Lloyd Enriquez, Cyd Makanui Hoffeld, and Eileen O’Hara. Big Island Now.Kona Community Hospital verified as level III trauma Center. The designation, given by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, means the hospital meets criteria to care for critically injured trauma patients, officials said. Star-Advertiser.MauiMaui police lieutenant arrested by the FBI. Lieutenant Michael Vaitu‘ulala, a Maui Police Department lieutenant suspended earlier this year after allegations he covered for a New Year’s Eve party featuring illegal aerial fireworks was arrested by FBI agents Tuesday. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. Infrastructure improvements underway at new Līpoa, master-planned community in South Maui. Pacific Rim Land is underway with infrastructure improvements at Līpoa, a 400-acre mixed-use, master-planned innovation community in South Maui featuring commercial, residential and recreation spaces. Maui Now.Additional Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) detections on Maui prompt community action alert. Following two recent detections in Central Maui, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is urging the community to remain alert for invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles. Maui Now.A Viral Hawaiian Monk Seal Changes The Conversation On Molokaʻi. A critically endangered seal’s chance encounter with the owner of a popular local social media account has brought community members together after recent killings of the protected species. Civil Beat.KauaiSix candidates battle in Aug. 8 primary to become Kauaʻi’s next mayor. The candidates, which include three current Kauaʻi County Council members, are all running to replace term-limited Derek S.K. Kawakami.  Three of the candidates are currently county council members: Chair Mel Rapozo, Felicia Cowden, and Bernard Carvalho Jr., who also formerly served as mayor. The other candidates are Laura Andaya-Lindsey, Michaela Widener and Megeso William Denis. Kauai Now.Kauaʻi County launches solid waste infrastructure survey. Kauaʻi County Solid Waste Division recently launched a countywide survey — limited to a randomly selected sample of Kauaʻi residents — to help county officials better understand resident views about landfills and long-term solid waste needs. Kauai Now. ...read more read less