January 31, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Saturday, January 31, 2026

January 31, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 10:57 AM :: 58 Views

Antivaxxer School at Center of Chickenpox outbreak on Kauai

Police Commission Selects Reed Mahuna for Hawaii County Police Chief

HR8: Did sitting Legislator Receive $35K bribe?

KHON: … The House today adopted House Resolution 8 that urges the Attorney General to expedite the state investigation into the allegations that a legislator accepted $35,000 in cash in a paper bag in January 2022.

HR8 also requests that the Department of the Attorney General notify the Legislature as soon as possible whether the legislator who allegedly accepted the $35,000 is a current member of the Legislature….

read … Lawmakers call for urgency in probe of alleged $35K bribe

Hawaii Supreme Court hears insurance appeal in Maui wildfire settlement

HNN: … Hawaii justices heard arguments on Tuesday regarding an appeal by insurance companies challenging a more than $4 billion global settlement. The settlement includes Hawaiian Electric, the state and county, with payments originally scheduled last year….

Adam Romney, attorney for the insurance companies, said his clients want to resolve all claims.

“We got the message. We understand that everybody wants global resolution. They truly want to resolve all of the claims,” Romney said. “We are not trying to stop that.” …

About 21,000 victims are included in the global settlement. The high court did not say when it would issue a ruling, although it ruled quickly the first time it heard an appeal from the insurance companies….

read … Hawaii Supreme Court hears insurance appeal in Maui wildfire settlement

Hint, Hint: New Aloha Stadium 'a manapua away' from key agreements

ASD: … The New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) and its developer, Aloha Hālawa District Partners (AHDP) signed a pair of key agreements in September: A stadium operation and development agreement, as well as its initial ground lease.

Three agreements between NASED and AHDP have yet to be signed: The master development agreement for the 98-acre area that doesn't involve the stadium itself, as well as the Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA) and Reciprocal Easement Shared Infrastructure Agreement (RESIA) associated with it.

"These three agreements kind of get wrapped up together, and you can see how they interchange," Yadao says.

It is Yadao's hope that NASED and AHDP can agree in principle on the final three topics in early February, then have the involved lawyers draft the contract language around the time of the Feb. 17 blessing.

"I've asked them to speed it up to be done before the blessing," Yadao said. "But look, that's really ambitious. That's really me pushing."…

"I'm telling you, we are a manapua away."

(CLUE: “DPP”)

Thursday was Yadao's fist Stadium Authority meeting as Aloha Stadium's interim manager. He was voted in as the stadium's deputy manager in December's meeting after former interim manager Chris Sadayasu stepped down. Walter Thoemmes was unanimously voted in as the new chair.

In other Stadium Authority personnel changes, chair Eric Fujimoto stepped down during Thursday's meeting. ….

read … New Aloha Stadium 'a manapua away' from key agreements

Design Changes Outlined in Latest Oahu Jail Plans

CN: ... The latest plans for a new jail in Oahu, Hawaii, call for an integrated facility with space for education, vocational skills training and other rehabilitative programming. …

read … Design Changes Outlined in Latest Oahu Jail Plans - Correctional News

Counties Push back Against Socialist Grab for property tax Revenue

CB: … I applaud Representative Amy Perruso’s ongoing commitment to secure much needed resources for our schools, as mentioned in this Civil Beat article from Jan. 25.

However, serving as a county council member in Hawaiʻi County, I have concerns about this bill, specifically the proposal for a constitutional amendment allowing the state to levy a property tax “surcharge” on residential properties.

Unlike the state, county governments in Hawai‘i are only entitled by the state to raise funds from a handful of revenue sources. These funds enable all the services counties provide for the community, including roads, parks, affordable housing, wastewater, police, fire and emergency services to name just a few.

If the state were to dip into the county’s ability to raise revenue from real property taxes, not only would it affect the ability of the counties to provide critical services, but it could also open the door for other state programs to look at property taxes as a funding source….

read … Counties Must Retain Real Property Tax Authority - Honolulu Civil Beat

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