Nation and world news at a glance
Democratic governors form alliance on abortion rights
DOE outlines plans for Holualoa school
The state Department of Education said Tuesday efforts are underway to address mold and other issues at Holualoa Elementary School.
HSTA: Holualoa Elementary in ‘crisis’
Hawaii’s teachers union, educators and parents Monday called out the state for what they say is a lack of action in addressing mold and rats in classrooms, structural damage and other persistent problems at Holualoa Elementary School.
Hawaii County to use VW settlement funds to purchase island’s first battery electric buses
Hawaii County is set to purchase its first battery electric buses as the Mass Transit Agency works to replace aging vehicles in the Hele-On fleet.
Kona woman pleads guilty to federal drug charges
A Kona woman faces life behind bars in a federal prison after pleading guilty to drug charges stemming from a 2022 bust that turned up over a pound of meth and thousands of fentanyl pills.
Wiliwili to get a hand
A second biological control agent is moving closer to entering the battle against the erythrina gall wasp to enhance survival of endemic wiliwili trees across Hawaii.
Commentary: Want to stem the tide of teachers fleeing the classroom? Empower them to lead
A 2022 survey of 615 Midwestern K-12 teachers who left the profession cited poor student behavior as the No. 1 reason for their departure.
Bill looks to install photovoltaic panels over school playgrounds
Lawmakers are considering a bill to install photovoltaic panels over playgrounds at all state Department of Education schools.
Editorial: Don’t necessarily blame Trump, Pence or Biden for mishandled secret papers
Controversies surrounding the discovery of classified documents in the personal quarters of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence have helped some misperceptions flourish about how those documents wind up in places they shouldn’t be. The fact that classified documents have been located in storage areas belonging to the three leaders doesn’t mean they were the ones who packed them up and hauled them away. Much as Republicans want to demonize Biden and Democrats want to vilify Trump for the documents’ discovery, there’s much more to the story of how they got mishandled.
Measure to establish dedicated animal control agency heads to County Council
A bill creating an Animal Control and Protection Agency in Hawaii County is headed to the full County Council for consideration.
Commentary: Nuclear threats? Climate change? What catastrophe will lead to doomsday?
If you needed a reminder that all is not well with the world, the Doomsday Clock moved forward once again in January. It’s now set for 90 seconds until midnight — closer to doom than ever before.
Bill aims create dedicated animal control agency
Creating a dedicated agency to oversee animal control services on Hawaii Island will be considered Tuesday by County Council members.
Senate passes bill restoring procedure for initiating felony cases
A measure aimed at resolving issues over how serious felony cases are charged is headed to the House for consideration.
Speeding up the process: Bill would require third-party consultant for some historic reviews
A bill aimed at speeding up historic preservation reviews cleared its first committee Tuesday.
Judge lifts West Hawaii aquarium fishing injunction
An Oahu Circuit Court judge Monday lifted an injunction prohibiting the issuance or renewal of aquarium fishing permits for West Hawaii waters.
‘A long time coming’
The much-needed and long-planned Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center moved a step closer to fruition Thursday with a groundbreaking and blessing ahead of the start of mass grading of the site in Kailua-Kona.
County to receive donated rapid-response shelters
The Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development will soon have another tool for its toolbox to address homelessness and emergencies on the Big Island.
From the start, Shiffrin showed she was the skier to beat
From a prodigiously talented 15-year-old to the most decorated female skier of all-time, Mikaela Shiffrin has done quite a lot in only 12 years.
Bill to require County Council approval of time extensions postponed
A bill that would require County Council authorization of time extensions to zoning ordinances was temporarily set aside Tuesday after an amendment to the measure.
HFD seeks OK to hire grant manager
The Hawaii Fire Department is seeking County Council approval to hire a consultant to manage a nearly half-million dollar federal grant recently awarded to the county.
