Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
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Today's Big Stories
1.A working group that emerged from a tragedy sets out to reform child welfare services
A working group formed tohelp reform Hawaii’s troubled child welfare systemhas drafted dozens of recommendations for reform, and the group is about to launch a series of hearings to solicit comments on those ideas.
The Malama Ohana Working Group wascreated by the Legislature last yearin part in response to the death of 6-year-old Isabella Kalua, who disappeared from the Waimanalo home of her adoptive parents in August of 2021.
The working groupis made up of social workers, foster parents, former foster youth and others, and the bill instructs the group to report back to the Legislature next year with a package of proposed reforms.
So far, the group has produced a catalogue ofmore than 70 preliminary recommendations, ranging from complex ideas that could alter the dynamics of Family Court proceedings to some simple, heartfelt pleas from youth.
Upcoming community meetingswill kick off with gatherings in Waianae at Kalanihookaha Community Learning Center on Wednesday, and at Keaukaha Elementary School in Hilo on Friday. Both meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. Additional meetings will be held across the state in June and July.
The meetings are open to the public, particularly youth, adults and elders, with life experience with the CWS system.
The end game is to “seek transformational change in the child welfare system,” Keala Kaopuiki-Santos, project manager for the governor’sOffice of Wellness and Resilience, said. “I think we really are going to get to a place of some really strong, solid recommendations that the community can get behind.”
Ryan Yamane, acting director of the Department of Human Services, said the department is “taking all of the recommendations and the feedback seriously. We’re going to look at ways to implement that.”
2.UH expands free summer program for high school students to learn about intelligence field
A free summer school program is available for high school students in Hawaii who are interested in learning more about entering the intelligence field.
The four-week program takes place online and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, introducing students to power in world politics since 1945, with an emphasis on the U.S.
The College of Social Sciences will host the Academy for Hawaii Intelligence Studies Summer Program for a second year.
The program runs from July 5 to 27, which includes an online component (July 5-20) and an in-person residence week on the UH Manoa campus with simulations, games, lectures and field trips (July 21-27).
Students earn three college credits for completing the program. A commencement ceremony will take place on July 26.
To learn more about the program, an informational session will take place via Zoom on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Pre-register by emailing:cssahi@hawaii.edu.
The Pacific Intelligence and Innovation Initiative pays for registration, tuition, fees, airfare, on-campus housing and meals.
The program is open to Hawaii high school juniors and seniors, and incoming UH Manoa freshmen, with applications due June 1. Students must be Hawaii residents with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
3.Honolulu Civil Beat: Lahaina property owners urged to apply for building permits as soon as possible
Lahaina residents are slowly starting to apply for emergency permits to reconstruct their homes, but building professionals are urging more people to submit applications — despite ongoing concerns about the rehabilitation of key city infrastructure.
Maui implemented the permit system in a bid to return residents to Lahaina as swiftly as possible, a process anticipated to take years. But residents continue to worry about how necessary infrastructure work could impact the design and construction of their homes and compromise their return to the West Maui town.
“If you’re not sure about some of the infrastructure, don’t let that hold you back from getting in and applying for a permit because it could be a long process, especially if you’re on Front Street or another problematic area,” architect David Sellers told a room of property owners last week.
Applying earlier rather than later means residents will circumvent any additional delays in the future, Sellers, the American Institute of Architects Maui chapter president, said at the rebuild workshop.
4.Newborn monk seal pup allegedly killed in dog attack on Oahu’s North Shore
A dog allegedly attacked and killed a newborn monk seal pup on the North Shore of Oahu.
The monk seal pup was born to Luana (also known as RN58) and the pair was first sighted together on Thursday, according to a news release from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.
NOAA fisheries said the alleged dog attack occurred that same evening and the federal agency is now doing an animal autopsy (or necropsy) to confirm the cause of death.
The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement is investigating and has no more details at this time.
Hawaiian monk seal Luana and her newborn pup (PO7) on the North Shore of Oahu. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Marine Animal Response/NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)
5.White House announces commitment with states to modernize the electric grid, hoping to reduce power outages and lower costs
The White House on Tuesday announced a new commitment with 21 states to expand the capacity of America’s power grid and modernize aging infrastructure— a move it says would facilitate the quicker integration of clean energy sources and lower utility costs for households.
The new agreement, the administration said, could also help stave off power outages during extreme weather— such as the storms in Texas over the holiday weekend thatleft thousands without poweras of Tuesday.
With the initiative, the Biden administration is bringing federal and state entities as well as players within the power sector together in support of deploying modern grid technologies to bolster capacity. The White House noted that while in the past expanding capacity meant having to build new transmission lines, modern grid technologies that exist today, such as high-performance conductors, create additional and less time-consuming solutions.
The 21 states that have signed on include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Wednesday, May 29
- Sun sets in perfect alignment with Manhattan street grid to create "Manhattanhenge"
- U.N. Security Council meeting on the Middle East
- John Lennon's lost Beatles guitar at auction
- Sheryl Sandberg steps down from Meta's Board of Directors
- Senate Banking Committee field hearing on "Economic and Health Impacts of Threats to Reproductive Rights"
- 25th anniversary of first docking with the International Space Station
- National Alligator Day
In Case You Missed It
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara served as incident commander during the COVID-19 pandemic and again after the Maui wildfires. (Office of Gov. Josh Green)
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara served as incident commander during the COVID-19 pandemic and again after the Maui wildfires. (Office of Gov. Josh Green)
Hara to retire as adjutant general for Hawaii
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, who serves as commander of the Hawaii National Guard and director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, will resign from his post on Oct. 1 and retire from the military on Nov. 1, bringing to an end a distinguished 40-year career in the military.
“I am grateful and proud to have served with the extraordinary members of the state of Hawaii, Department of Defense, who accomplished every assigned state and federal mission during extremely challenging times,” Hara said.
Hara served as the state’s overall incident commander from 2020 to 2023 during the COVID-19 pandemic response. He again served as the state’s incident commander for the Maui wildfire response.
The Hawaii Department of Defense will conduct an official change of responsibility ceremony on Oct. 1.
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