Hawaii highest in nation for child care costs, study shows
Legislature Opens Application Window for Grants-in-Aid
Kauai jail relocation wrapped into state’s massive Grove Farm land purchase
PBN: … Hawaii's Agribusiness Development Corp. is negotiating a $39 million purchase of 1,000 acres on Kauai from Grove Farm, which is owned by billionaire AOL co-founder Steve Case, and the agency said the purchase will also potentially include another 40 acres for a $20 million jail relocation project.
The Kauai Community Correctional Center, currently located on the mauka side of Kuhio Highway between Hanamaulu and Wailua, is relocating as a road expansion project for the highway threatens to take away land from the jail. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation set aside $20 million to join the Grove Farm deal, so it can obtain 40 acres for its proposed jail relocation….
The $20 million will go toward purchasing the land and designing a new jail facility, according to state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Tommy Johnson. However, the department will still need to raise additional funds for the actual construction of the facility, he said.
Because negotiations for the Grove Farm land are still ongoing, Johnson said it’s too early to say exactly when construction will start, but he’s expecting it to begin within the next two years.
The current facility was originally built in 1977 and was significantly smaller than the current version, which can now hold up to 128 men and women.
Some of the added structures were built for temporary use after Hurricane Iniki struck the island in 1992. Despite their age, those structures are still used to house inmates and they are the ones primarily affected by the road widening, according to Johnson….
read … Kauai jail relocation wrapped into state’s massive Grove Farm land purchase
State Land Board approves final EIS for Kaheawa Wind 1 continued use for 20 years
MN: … The Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources has accepted a final environmental impact statement for Kaheawa Wind Power LLC’s application to keep its 20 wind-power generators operating above Māʻalaea for another two decades.
In November, the operator of Maui’s oldest wind farm completed a final environmental impact statement as part of its request for a 25-year lease to use state land from the state land board. The board’s action is another step toward Kaheawa’s continued use of the property where 30 megawatts of renewable energy is generated from brisk winds blowing through Central Maui’s isthmus.
The project’s current land lease and power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric are set to expire in 2026.
If approved, the “continued use project” would allow the facility to operate through late 2046, followed by a two-year decommissioning and restoration period….
The project requires multiple government approvals to proceed, including:
- Board of Land and Natural Resources: Approval of the Habitat Conservation Plan, and issuance of a new land lease.
- Public Utilities Commission: Approval of the new power purchase agreement.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service: Issuance of an incidental take permit.
(TRANSLATION: Kill lots of bats and birds.)
read … State Land Board approves final EIS for Kaheawa Wind 1 continued use for 20 years : Maui Now
Hospital, workers agree on new contract, ending months-long strike
HNN: … After more than two months, a strike involving unionized workers at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children is over.
The hospital confirmed after two negotiation sessions facilitated by a federal mediator, it reached a contract agreement with the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996 (Teamsters).
Union members ratified the new contract in a Dec. 23 vote, the hospital said.
Teamsters represents about 300 hospital employees, including technicians, housekeeping, food service staff, and more….
Terms of the new agreement have not been released.
Workers will return to their jobs Monday, and the hospital says careful planning is underway for a smooth transition….
read … Hospital, workers agree on new contract, ending months-long strike
Ewa: Electric Bills Jump to $700/mo
HNN: … “Our bill’s been consistent for the whole 10 years, about $178,” Bowers said. “And now I get a bill from $107 to $700 and almost $800.”
Other residents report similar spikes. One resident says her total utility bill jumped from $452.98 to $1,188.91, with the latest bill arriving on Christmas Eve.
“That tells a story right there,” she said.
Kapilina Beach Homes, managed by Greystar, provides electrical service for residents on the former Navy base in Ewa Beach….
The property bills tenants directly rather than through Hawaiian Electric.
Residents say in recent years, electricity meters were previously checked manually, but that system failed multiple times. They say readings are now monitored through software they claim is also malfunctioning, contributing to sudden billing increases….
read … ‘It’s bullying’: Kapilina Beach Homes residents decry power bill surges
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