October 8, 2025 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Wednesday, October 8, 2025

October 8, 2025 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 4:13 PM :: 1143 Views

VIDEO: Alan Beck: The Vampire Rule Hunter Taking Hawaii to the Supreme Court

'The Wall That Heals' Coming to Oahu

Coast Guard Cutter Midgett returns to Hawaii following 79-day counterdrug patrol, $156M worth of cocaine seized

First Homeless Kauhale Opening on Maui

Empty Trains Getting More Expensive: HART Budget Jumps 9.5% -- $1.07B next year

SA: … The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027 will total nearly $1.07 billion — 9.5% above the agency’s current total budget of $968.3 million adopted in June, rail officials say.

HART’s new budgets, which would take effect in July but by law must be submitted to the city administration by Dec. 1, will tackle increases to debt service on the rail project’s loans as well as pay for new contracts that include park- and-ride lots and other station facilities for the over-$10 billion Skyline project, agency reports state.

HART’s total operating budget for 2026 will rise to nearly $177.6 million — an increase of $2.8 million, or almost 1.7%, over the rail agency’s current $174.7 million spending plan. Of that over $177 million amount, $172.6 million — or 97% — covers debt service expenditures, reports state.

That includes $135.5 million in principal payments on outstanding general obligation, or GO, bonds — an increase of $6.5 million over the current fiscal year, reports indicate.

But the agency notes $33.8 million in interest payments on debt equates to a $6.4 million decrease compared with the current fiscal year.

HART’s total labor costs for fiscal year 2027 are budgeted at $1.4 million — a decrease of $112,000, or 7.4% from the current year, the agency states.

The proposed operating budget will also fund 72 full-time positions, though as of Sept. 12, there are 45 people actually employed at the rail agency. HART is authorized to have a total of 98 positions, reports state….

The operating budget includes $1.1 million in interest payments on tax-exempt commercial paper, or TECP — essentially short-term loans — that could be used as part of the rail project….

HART, he added, may borrow $150 million in TECPs for the latest budget….

SA: Letter: Skyline performance unlikely to get better | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

read … HART sees $1.07B total budget next year | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Little Support for Fed Wreck at CNHA Convention

SA: …. Nu‘uhiwa was joined on a federal recognition panel at the convention by OHA Interim Administrator Summer Sylva, and Honolulu City Council member Esther Kia‘aina. Interest was high because the convention was held on the federally recognized tribal lands of the Tulalip Tribes, who have increased their economic resilience through gaming, lodging and other entrepreneurial endeavors.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), vice chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, told the Star-Advertiser in an email that while the Native Hawaiian community currently does not have a formal government-to-government relationship with the U.S. like that of federally recognized Indian tribes, the relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian Community has the substantive attributes of a government-to-government relationship….

Kuhio Lewis, Hawaiian Council CEO, said discussion around the political recognition of Native Hawaiians must be organic so “having discussions that are healthy are important to help it get there — not forcing it.”

“There are conversations at the convention about self-determination. Honestly, the Hawaiian Council is probably the only organization that could push federal recognition,” Lewis said. “But I’ve chosen to focus on economic sovereignty, which I believe is necessary to support federal recognition. Otherwise, you have a populous of everybody’s broke, homeless.”

He opined that conversations about federal recognition eventually will move forward, but said that’s probably at least another two years out given the current political environment and the pressing need “to focus on helping our people live well.”…

When panel attendees were asked their opinion on government-to government federal recognition, some raised their hands in support, some raised their hands against it, and most chose not to answer….

read … Native Hawaiian Convention held on tribal lands sparks federal recognition debate | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

City Advice: To save money after sewer rate hikes, stop using so much water brushing teeth, bathing

HNN: … To help residents manage costs, the city launched a new online sewer calculator. The tool allows users to set goals, track usage and see potential savings.

On the website, the city offered simple ways to save water, including fixing leaks promptly, taking shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth or scrubbing dishes, running full loads in washers and dishwashers, and installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances that may qualify for rebates.

“But there are tools for every resident to be able to manage this increase,” Babcock said….

LINK: Sewer Fee Rates - original | Department of Environmental Services

read … City rolls out tool to help residents calculate sewer bills

Kapalua Golf owner files new lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple

PBN: … The legal battle between Kapalua Golf's owner and Maui Land & Pineapple intensifies as a new lawsuit emerges, this time focusing on control of the resort association….

read … Kapalua Golf owner files new lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple - Pacific Business News

‘We just have to start’: Nonprofit faces $40 million task of restoring 8 historic sites in Lahaina

MN: … Last week, the foundation shared its master plan to restore the historic sites: the Old Lahaina Courthouse, the Seamen’s Hospital, the Baldwin House, the Masters’ Reading Room, Hale Aloha, Old Lahaina Prison/Hale Pa‘ahao, the Plantation House and the Kindergarten Building.

“The idea is to bring it back as much as possible,” Morrison told the Hawai‘i Journalism Initiative. “We know it’s not totally possible, but as much as possible to what it was before.”

It’s a major challenge. The eight sites are in different physical conditions. With limited staff and resources, they can’t all be rebuilt at once. The foundation also is dealing with a donor pool of “strained Lahaina town supporters” who already were part of a massive outpouring of giving the past two years, the plan said….

MN: Maui Planning Commission to review proposed building height limit changes for Lahaina : Maui Now

read … ‘We just have to start’: Nonprofit faces $40 million task of restoring 8 historic sites in Lahaina : Maui Now

Bill to approve FBI agreement canceled from Friday’s council agenda

MN: … Bill 92, CD1 has been canceled from Friday’s council meeting agenda and will be referred back to committee according to Chair Alice L. Lee. Because of the cancellation of this bill, no testimony or deliberations will be accepted. No revised agenda will be posted, but Lee will announce this cancellation at the start of the meeting.

The purpose of Bill 92 is to authorize an intergovernmental agreement with the FBI for a Joint Terrorism Task Force. The bill passed first reading at the council’s Sept. 26 meeting with assurances that civil liberties would be protected and local control of county personnel and resources would be maintained by the County, as noted in the committee report….

HTH: Council weighs in on ICE - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Hawai‘i State Library Bans Displays For Banned Books Week

CB: … This week, libraries across the U.S. are observing Banned Books Week. In Hawai‘i, the national event has been rebranded as a week dedicated to the “freedom to read,” an attempt to cool what has become a hot-button political issue.

New guidelines issued by the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System ahead of the 41st annual event prohibit the use of the words “censorship” and “banned,” as well as the phrase “banned books week,” in displays at 51 public libraries across the state.

Also banned are certain props and imagery, such as caution tape and fake flames, and the use of any slogans or materials from the ALA, the professional organization that has sponsored the yearly Banned Books Week campaign since its 1982 origins.

A Banned Books Week display at Līhuʻe Public Library after a library supervisor removed materials produced by the American Library Association in response to new Hawaiʻi State Public Library System guidelines. (Courtesy: Lani Kawahara/2025)

State Librarian Stacey Aldrich said in a statement Tuesday that the language used in the Freedom to Read campaign aims to be inclusive of all library patrons….

read … Hawai‘i State Library Bans Displays For Banned Books Week - Honolulu Civil Beat

read … Bill to approve FBI agreement canceled from Friday’s council agenda : Maui Now

Can Hawaiʻi Turn Around Another Deadly Year On The Roads?

CB: … Gov. Josh Green issued an executive order last month calling for new regulations for e-bikes, stronger enforcement of traffic violations and more safety education programs.

But a Civil Beat review of state data and police reports shows the issues that need to be addressed are formidable, ranging from an onerous prosecution process that may allow those responsible to escape consequences to longstanding and hard-to-fix infrastructure problems.

“In a lot of places in Hawaiʻi, we have sidewalk infrastructure, bike infrastructure that’s extremely underdeveloped,” said Justin Tyndall, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Hawaiʻi who researches transportation issues. “And road design that allows people to drive very quickly. And limited enforcement to prevent people from speeding or driving dangerously. So I think that’s a recipe for having a lot of fatalities.”…

read … Can Hawaiʻi Turn Around Another Deadly Year On The Roads? - Honolulu Civil Beat

‘Food Insecurity’ Hallucination: Plump UH Students are Actually Starving

CB: … More than half of students at the University of Hawaiʻi face at least one form of severe food insecurity, with many skipping meals because they cannot afford food, according to a new assessment of basic needs in the statewide system’s 10 campuses.

Four out of 10 UH students went without food due to lack of money at least once in the past 12 months, reflecting a broader trend. Students are struggling to get by, with ramifications for both their well-being and educational success, according to the study by Konstantinos Zougris and Albie Miles of UH West O‘ahu. …

(Sally Struthers will come to the rescue.)

read … Half Of UH Students Struggle To Get Food - Honolulu Civil Beat

Failure of Mental health System: Man Shot By Police Was Undergoing Court-Ordered Mental Health Treatment

CB: … Siofele served just over 11 years in prison after a 1999 conviction on two felonies related to methamphetamine possession.

(CLUE: Reopen the insane asylums, put the insane back inside.)

In 2018, he was convicted of two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.

He served two months in prison after the conviction and was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, according to a July 9 report from his probation officer, Marissa Nahina, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi. Over the next seven years, he would repeatedly violate the terms of his release, including the requirement to stay clean and sober.

In 2019, he failed to comply with the regulations of a residential reentry center as well as the Sand Island Treatment Center, a substance abuse treatment program in Honolulu.

In 2021, he admitted to drinking alcohol and violating the rules of Faith House, a halfway house where he was living.

Two years later, he pleaded guilty to criminal property damage. At the time, he was also failing to take his prescribed mental health medication, according to Nahina’s report.

He was sentenced to two months in prison and just over four years of supervised release.

In the months before his death, Siofele attended weekly meetings with his probation officer where he participated in one-on-one journaling sessions focused on self control, the report says. He had also been prescribed an antipsychotic medication and was attending weekly sessions at Action With Aloha, which offers behavioral health and substance abuse counseling.

As of August 2024, he was living at Faith House and working part time at a cleaning company, though it’s unclear if he was still living there at the time of his death.

In July, Siofele told his probation officer that he drank alcohol and smoked marijuana laced with cocaine.

He said he had argued with someone at work and after work bought two “fortys” of alcohol and went for a walk to “quiet the voices” in his head, the report says.

His probation officer recommended additional structure to help him “re-stabilize,” though she also noted he’d made progress.

“While he has acknowledged his drug use, Mr. Siofele has demonstrated notable progress in managing his mental health symptoms compared to previous terms of supervision and continues to show motivation to work collaboratively with” probation officers, the report says.

Nahina recommended he be sentenced to 60 days of home detention and only be allowed to leave for approved activities. She also recommended that he be assessed to determine whether a higher level of substance abuse treatment was necessary and continue his weekly journaling sessions with the probation office.

A judge signed off on the recommendations on July 7. It is unclear what Siofele’s status was after that….

SA: Man, 65, arrested after allegedly biting police officer in Waikiki | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

read … Man Shot By Police Was Undergoing Court-Ordered Mental Health Treatment - Honolulu Civil Beat

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